Rebuilding the House of Scooby
by Tony McD
Summary: Xander is given the chance to rebuild the House of Scooby.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Rebuilding the House of Scooby  
  
Authors: Mike and Tony McD  
  
Rating: PG (ish)  
  
Category: season 7 AU/ early season 2 (kinda)  
  
Pairings: B/X, W/X, B/W/X  
  
Summary: Xander is given the chance to rebuild the House of Scooby  
  
Distribution: Go for it, just tell us where.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and enjoyment.  
  
Authors' notes: This is a collaborative effort between Tony and me due to Tony's illness. Feedback is appreciated.  
  
*-*-*-*  
  
The first indication that something was wrong was the stain. It was a very familiar stain, one that Xander had stared at for years as a kid. The problem was that the stain was on the ceiling of his childhood room, in a house that didn't exist any more, in a town laid to waste in the battle with the First Evil.  
  
Another surprise, although a welcome one, was the lack of pain. In the days and weeks following the final battle, Xander had roamed the desolate landscape in constant pain in his body, his heart, his soul. He had been living in his own worst hell. Buffy and Willow dead by their own hand, their own hubris. They had become mere shadows of the people he had loved long before the final battle. So when he stumbled across the portal he jumped into without hesitation. Anywhere, anything was better than this.  
  
So Xander found himself laying in his childhood bed and wondering just where, or when, in the hell he was. The bed seemed to be smaller than he remembered and, after the hell he just left, incredibly soft. He lay in his bed for long minutes and when he hadn't been attacked by anything, he decided that he wasn't in hell. Hope filled him and it scared him because he didn't want it crushed again.  
  
He looked around to try to get a grip on exactly was going on. There was a poster of Cindy Crawford on his wall that gave him a bit of a clue. He remembered that he'd replaced Cindy with Elle McPhearson just before he and Cordy started smooching. Add some other things here and there and Xander came up with the impression that it wasn't that far after summer of his junior year. Of course a calendar would have helped but the only one in the house was in the kitchen and Xander wasn't about to wander out there naked.  
  
Reluctantly, he got out of bed and started looking for some clothes. He caught sight of himself in the mirror. It wasn't the goofy 17-year-old who looked back at him but the battle hardened 24 year old replete with scars attesting to his seven years on the frontline between good and evil. The largest and nastiest of these were the ones given to him by Buffy and Willow in his fight against them.  
  
But his worst scars were all on the inside.  
  
Eventually he found a pair of jeans and a plain black T-shirt that fit and after his shower, he emerged into the kitchen. There was no sign of his parents but this wasn't unusual given the early time of day. Looking at the calender it confirmed his guess on the date. He turned on the TV and dug around the fridge for some breakfast. As he ate his frosted flakes he watched the morning TV news. Everything seemed normal, Bill Clinton in trouble again, reports of gang related attacks here in Sunnydale, situation normal.  
  
Xander decided that he'd either come back in time or had crossed into a parallel universe almost identical to his own. Either way he had to see Buffy, Willow and Giles. The opportunity to see his friends again, his real friends as opposed to the empty shells that had become, that was something he couldn't pass up.  
  
As he headed off to school Xander thought that maybe, just maybe, he could save his friends from the dark future he had left.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
Xander stood at the top of the stairs looking out at the scene. Groups of teens wandering around the courtyard doing all the things that high schoolers did on a Monday morning. Xander smiled a little when he realised how much he had taken all this of granted.  
  
Behind him Cordy and her entourage stood staring at the man among boys who stood looking out over the courtyard.  
  
"Let's see, broad muscular shoulders, big biceps, great ass. Yeah, I think he's worthy of the full Cordelia Chase treatment." She told her gathered hangers on. With a confident swish she came up behind him.  
  
"Tall, dark and handsome. Just the way I like..." he turned to face her.  
  
"HARRIS!!"  
  
"Cordy!"  
  
They stared at each other. One in disbelief, the other in happy shock.  
  
Cordy couldn't believe it. It was that dork Xander, only not. He looked older, more mature, more confident, sexy even.  
  
Xander for his part was really happy to she Cordy again. She might be a pain in the ass right now but it was far better than the demonic she-bitch she ended up as.  
  
"What in God's name happened to you?" she demanded to know. Xander's mind raced to come up with a cover story for his changed appearance.  
  
"Errr... growth spurt?"  
  
"GROWTH..." Xander rested his hands on her shoulders to calm her down.  
  
"Look, Cordy. I can't explain right now but I promise we'll talk, OK?" he hugged her as the bell rang for first period.  
  
"God! I missed you so much Cordy." He said letting her go and heading off to the library leaving a stunned and shocked Cordelia in his wake.  
  
*-*-*-*  
  
Watching the scene was Buffy and Willow.  
  
"Why is it that complete hotties are attracted by complete skanks like Cordelia?" sighed the Slayer. Willow looked up from her book to check out the scene.  
  
"Mmm... Nice arms."  
  
"Nice shoulders."  
  
"Cute ass."  
  
"Willow!"  
  
"What? Can't I express appreciation for a member of the dumber sex?"  
  
"No! It's just... alright; he's got a great ass." Buffy sighed again as the bell rang. "Come on Willow, Miss Harkness awaits."  
  
As they started heading off to class Buffy saw the expression on Cordelia's face as she got hugged.  
  
"Typical. She has complete hotties throwing themselves at her and she's still not happy."  
  
"I only wish I had a complete hottie like that throwing himself at me." Willow said a little dejectedly.  
  
"You and me both, Willow. You and me both."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
It was with a little trepidation that Xander entered the empty library. He needed to get Giles on side if he had any chance at making things right this time around. He walked up to the table in the centre of the room and ran his hand across it. Memories of happier times flooded back. The Scooby Gang, battling the forces of evil, hanging out together. In retrospect there were the golden years, a time of innocence. Giles emerged from the stacks.  
  
"Can I help... you...?" he faltered.  
  
"I'm hoping you can G-man."  
  
"Xander? What? How?"  
  
"Growth spurt?" Xander tried but Giles wasn't buying it. "Yeah, OK. It really didn't fly with Cordy either." Xander steadied himself before going on.  
  
"I'm from the future, or a future, maybe."  
  
"The future?"  
  
"Or a future." Xander qualified. "I'm not sure if I'm from your future, or an alternate one. That's something for you and Wills to figure out."  
  
"I... see..." Giles was finding the concept difficult to accept. Xander paced for a bit thinking for ways to convince Giles.  
  
"OK, things that only future Xander would know. Mmm... Last year I got possessed by a hyena and I pretended not to remember anything about it but you knew and kept it secret anyway. And you used to be called Ripper and hung around Ethan Rayne doing magic and having orgies." Disturbed by the visuals Xander's mind raced for more.  
  
"Oh! You've got an old girlfriend named Oliva back in England." Xander stopped pacing and looked Giles directly in the eye, a look serious and threatening on his face.  
  
"And you even think about performing the Cruciamentum on Buffy when she turns 18 I'll kill you myself."  
  
Giles paled a little in shock.  
  
"How do you know about...?"  
  
"Seven years, Giles. I've got seven years worth of future in my head and most of it I don't want to ever happen again. So do you believe me now?"  
  
A stunned Giles nodded and circled Xander looking the young man over.  
  
"You've certainly grown." said an astonished Watcher.  
  
"Almost 8 years fighting evil and 4 working on construction sites is good for that sort of thing."  
  
Giles leaned against the table and cleaned his glasses.  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"Big shimmery portal opens up, badda bing, badda boom! I wake up in my old bed."  
  
"Fascinating."  
  
"Yes it is. And I'm guessing you'll be wanting to hit the old books any second now. Need a hand?" Xander smiled at the Watcher who smiled back.  
  
"Thank you, yes. It would be a great help." Giles headed to the stacks but Xander stopped him and embraced the older man.  
  
"Missed you so much man." Xander let go of Giles when he noticed Giles' rather awkward reaction to the hug.  
  
"Right, stiff upper lip English watcher guy not into hugs. Cool. OK." A little smile appeared on Xander's face. "Don't worry, you'll grow out of it eventually."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
It was a chirpy Slayer and hacker that entered the library just before lunch.  
  
"That look on Cordelia's face when that hottie hugged her. What's her rift?"  
  
"She has no appreciation for a guy with a great ass, Will."  
  
"What was that Buffy?" Giles asked from inside the book cage.  
  
"Shoulders! And big muscular arms!" Buffy tried to cover.  
  
"Yes! His arms. Attached to his shoulders. As they are. Traditionally." babbled Willow.  
  
"Right. Yes." Giles tried to get things back on track. "I'm glad you two showed up."  
  
"Cool. What's the crisis?"  
  
"The crisis would happen to be me." Xander said as he emerged from the stacks. He was greeted by two sets of boggling eyes. He walked down the steps and stood before them.  
  
Buffy. Willow. Alive.  
  
His heart and soul sang with happiness.  
  
Tears welled up in his eyes.  
  
To the further shock of the already stunned girls, Xander gathered them up into his arms and held them close as he wept.  
  
*He seems awfully fond of hugging people. * Thought Giles.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"So let me get this straight. You're Xander."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Our Xander."  
  
A smile. "Always."  
  
"From the future."  
  
"Or a parallel one, yes."  
  
"Seven years.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"In the future."  
  
"You're not getting past this future thing any time soon, are ya Buff?"  
  
"It's just, the future. And you're..." Buffy waved her hand in Xander's direction.  
  
"All grown up?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Are you sure this is the real Xander?" Willow inquired uncertainly of Giles.  
  
"Well, I..."  
  
"Let me handle this one Giles." Xander stood up in front of Willow.  
  
"Now, seeing this isn't the time nor the place for my yellow crayon speech, I'll just have to go with this." To the astonishment of Buffy and Giles, and to the delight of Willow, Xander started dancing. Willow giggled.  
  
"OK! You can stop now!" Willow told him as she launched herself at him and locked him into a ferocious bear hug. Xander hugged her back, kissing the top of her head. God, how he missed being this close to Willow. He had to fight back the tears again as he held her to his chest.  
  
"And this display proves this is Xander how?"  
  
"Every Christmas, Giles, I go around to Xander's place to watch 'Charlie Brown's Christmas' and every year he does the Snoopy Dance. Only Xander is capable of the Snoopy Dance."   
  
Giles took his glasses of and cleaned them vigorously before putting them back on.  
  
"For which fact I am eternally grateful."  
  
"So" Buffy said deciding to re-enter the conversation "Future boy. Spill. What happens? Do I make it past 18?" Without thinking Xander looked at Giles and said venomously:  
  
"You will if Giles knows what's good for him."  
  
"Um, Buffy, it's usually best for people not to know too much of their future."  
  
"Giles! I have a right to know!"  
  
"Buffy!" Xander yelled, letting Willow go. "I don't want to go into it right now. Please, trust me on this one Buff. Not now. Later, maybe?" A reluctant nod from the Slayer.  
  
"OK, later." Buffy agreed as the bell rang for next period. Willow gathered up her books.  
  
"You coming Xander?"  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Chem class."  
  
"Oh, OK." Xander grabbed his stuff and headed to the doors with Willow.  
  
"Chem class would be easier second time around, wouldn't it?"  
  
"It would. But, Wills, I was hardly ever in Chem class the FIRST time around."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
The day went surprising well. Xander's lame 'growth spurt' excuse was actually believed, much to the amazement of his friends. Xander reasoned that people in Sunnydale were so used to excusing away even weirder things like vampires and stuff, that Xander's sudden change in appearance was pretty much a non-event.  
  
Not that his appearance went unnoticed. A large proportion of the female population of Sunnydale High saw the change and were a little annoyed with Buffy and Willow for not sharing the wealth.  
  
Xander was almost deliriously happy at again being with the two people he loved most in the world. Willow, for her part, soaked up the affection and attention that Xander was showering them with. She spent almost the entire day wielded to Xander, revelling in the huge amounts of time she was spending in his embrace.  
  
Buffy, on the other hand, was quiet. She spent the day looking at Xander. He definitely was their Xander, the same humour, the same clown she knew. But there was something different. Yes, the eye candy factor was welcome and the lusty thoughts that kept popping into her mind were somewhat new (if not a little disconcerting). But something else. Something she had never seen in her Xander. A quiet confidence, the maturity, the look of someone who had been around the block a few times. But there also was the look of a man haunted by some dark secret. A secret he didn't want to share and one that Buffy wanted to know.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
After school ended they gathered in the library.  
  
"We'll start researching this portal of Xander's, see if we can get him back." Giles told the gathered Scoobies.  
  
"I've got a better idea. You research, we go out and patrol. Hellmouth, vampires, forces of Darkness ring a bell?"  
  
"Yes, but as a priority this situation with you..."  
  
"Isn't as high as keeping people safe from the evil things that go bite in the night. There's nothing out there at the moment that the three of us can't handle together. So I say we get out there and try to make some inroads on the bad guy population while things are still quiet." With a sigh, Giles acquiesced to Xander's idea.  
  
"Alright. Patrol. But tomorrow we research this, agreed?"  
  
"Er, right. Sure thing." Xander picked up some weapons. "Let's get rolling guys."  
  
Giles watched them leave him behind in the library with his research.  
  
And the beginnings of suspicion over what Xander was keen to avoid.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
It was another happening Friday night at the Bronze. The three Scoobies were having a great time dancing, laughing, and hanging out together. In addition to all the other improvements, Xander's dancing was a big tick in the bonus column.  
  
Buffy and Willow sat at their table and watched Xander who was currently dancing with Cordelia, or as he put it 'repaying the old factory debt', much to the confusion of his friends.  
  
Willow as over the moon at the extent that the fact Xander was currently dancing with Cordelia didn't phase her one bit. The last week was the happiest in her life. Xander had been attentive and affectionate to both her and Buffy the whole week. He was also big on the hugs, group hugs, Buffy hugs, Willow hugs. Any weirdness in Xander was overshadowed by the happy confirmation of everything Willow ever saw in Xander.  
  
For Buffy it was a slightly different story. For Willow it was a confirmation, for Buffy it was a revelation. He was everything Buffy ever wanted in a guy. But there was three issues which stood before her that made her hesitate. Willow was one, Angel was another. But the biggest was Xander's secrets. Xander had been silent on details of the future and Buffy wondered. What dark secrets was he hiding? Why was he hiding them? Xander came bounding over to the table.  
  
"That's it. I'm all danced out. What say you gals?" Xander asked as he plunked himself down between Buffy and Willow.  
  
"How about we check in with Giles before we patrol?"  
  
"Sounds like a plan. What about you, Buff?" Xander snapped his fingers in front of the Slayer.  
  
"Hello? Ground control to Major Tom. Hello?" Buffy snapped out of her thoughts.  
  
"Oh, er, sorry. Got a little spaced out there. What's going on?"  
  
"You want to swing by Giles on the way to a patrol?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. Let's motor."  
  
As they walked towards the library, Willow slided up next to Buffy.  
  
"What's wrong Buffy? You've been pretty spacey a lot lately."  
  
"Sorry about that. It's just, you know, just this thing with Xander. It's a little mind bending."  
  
"I suppose it is a little."  
  
"Uh huh, just a little."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
The three of them entered the library where Giles was deep in his books researching Xander's situation. Xander headed directly for the book cage to gab weapons for patrol.  
  
"Got anything for us before we patrol, G man?"  
  
Giles got up from his books.  
  
"I was hoping you would stay here and help me with research in rectifying you situation."  
  
"No can do. We've got to... patrol." Xander's voice faltered as he saw the doors open and someone come in.  
  
Angel.  
  
"Buffy, could we..." Angel was cut off by the cross thrust vigorously in his face by Xander.  
  
"Back off, Deadboy!" Angel growled and flinched as Xander shoved the cross further in his face.  
  
"Buffy!"  
  
"I said leave her alone you son of a bitch!" A furious Xander yelled. Buffy shoved Xander away from Angel.  
  
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Buffy demanded from Xander. Yes, Xander wasn't Angel's biggest fan, but never anything like this. Everyone was shocked at the violence of Xander's reaction to Angel. Xander was silent, fury and hurt in his eyes.  
  
"Damn it! Xander! You still haven't told us jack. Talk to us."  
  
"Buffy is right." Giles interjected somewhat more reasonably than his Slayer. "You seem most reluctant to help research how to get you back. It's almost like you don't want to go back."  
  
"You're right Giles. I don't want to go back."  
  
"Why?" Willow asked "Won't you be missed?"  
  
"NO!" Xander yelled making everyone jump. "I won't be missed because there's no one left to miss me. I don't want to go back because there's nothing left to go back to." His voice softer now, hurt and grief evident in his tone.  
  
"What happened? Xander, we need to know."  
  
"Oh, you guys need to know alright. It's just that I'm positive you guys won't want to know."  
  
"Please. Tell us."  
  
Xander debated in his mind for a few moments.  
  
"You'd all better sit down. The history of the fall of the House of Scooby takes awhile to tell."  
  
"The fall of the House of Scooby?"  
  
"Yeah Will. There's no happy ending. Just painful truths."  
  
*-*-*-*  
  
For the next few hours, Xander told them everything that had happened. Angel's curse, Angelus, Jenny, Kendra, Cordy, the Fluke, Athicla, the Mayor, Faith, the Initiative, Riley, ADAM, Tara, Spike, Dawn, Glory, Joyce, Anya, the Nerds of Doom, the SiT's, the First Evil, the final battle.  
  
"You both became more and more powerful in order to fight the First Evil. But along the way you lost yourselves, your humanity, your heart. Me. I could see what was happening to you two. I tried telling you guys but you never listened. As a last ditch I tried to reach the spark like I did for Willow on Kingman's Bluff, tried to reach that little remaining bit of the real Buffy and Willow who are a part of my heart, my soul.  
  
"But the people I loved most had gone. They had been dead for a long time and all that was left was the empty shells. In the final battle, you two didn't just defeat the First Evil. You replaced it." Xander finished with an almost painful whisper.  
  
He looked up to see the pain, the tears, the numb horror on the gathered faces of his friends.  
  
"Now you know." Xander said and he got up and left without another word.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
It had been a week since he told them. It hurt him to tell them, and it hurt to give them the time and space they needed to deal with what he told them. Xander patrolled to keep himself busy and distract himself. Two vamps and a Feoral demon later, he headed home for a shower and a change of clothes. Unlike the two vamps, the Feoral demon made a real mess of his shirt.  
  
He entered his room to find Buffy and Willow. An awkward silence reigned.  
  
"Uh, hi guys." Xander said finally. Buffy and Willow looked at the gore on his shirt. "Feoral demon. Messier than vamps slayage wise."  
  
"We asked Miss Calender about Angel's curse. She confirmed it. The happiness clause bit." Buffy told him. Xander looked at her for a bit then headed for his wardrobe to find a clean shirt.  
  
"He left town. Said he needed time to think. Needed time to deal, I guess."  
  
Xander paused, clean shirt in hand.  
  
"And you guys?"  
  
"Us? We're just peachy. Finding out we're destined become inhuman evil bitch monsters from hell? Just peachy."  
  
"THAT'S NOT YOUR DESTINY!" he yelled.  
  
"But..." Willow started to say however Xander cut her off and knelt in front of the two of them.  
  
"I'm here now. I have to be here for a reason and that reason is to make sure that isn't your destiny. I'm going to fix the mistakes, to make it right this time around. I'm not going to abandon you two, no matter what." An impassioned Xander could see it in their eyes. A spark of hope. A belief for a better future. He got up and took off his gore stained shirt.  
  
Buffy and Willow gasped a little as they saw they horrible scars on his chest and back. Buffy reached up and traced her fingers along some of the scars.  
  
"How did you..." Buffy started to ask but stopped at the look of sadness on Xander's face. She dropped her hand into her lap and looked down.  
  
"We did that, didn't we?" more a statement than a question from Buffy.  
  
"Yeah." A reluctant Xander replied. Willow closed her eyes to block out the vision of the scars and to fight the tears they caused. Xander put the clean shirt on. It was a minute before Buffy spoke again.  
  
"Why?" The simple question startled Xander.  
  
"Why what?"  
  
"Why did you keep fighting? Why did you keep tying to save us when you could have, should have, walked away? When we kept ignoring and hurting you? Why?"  
  
A small smile from Xander.  
  
"Love."  
  
Willow opened her eyes in shock.  
  
"Love?" she asked, not quite sure she heard correctly.  
  
"Love." Xander confirmed. "I love you two in every possible sense of the word, in every way possible, even in ways thought to be impossible. Buffy, Willow; you two are my heart and soul. My everything. I couldn't stop loving you if my life depended on it. Even when my life depended on it."  
  
Xander was knocked to the floor as two other Scoobies launched themselves at him. Tears of happiness and love soaked his shirt as he held them close to his chest. To his heart. They held each other for a long time.  
  
"What do we do now?" Willow asked into Xander's chest.  
  
"We take it one day at a time. Together." Buffy told her.  
  
"Coolness."  
  
Xander lifted his head up off the floor.  
  
"Actually I was thinking I should get up and have a shower. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the Scooby snuggles here, and I'm looking forward to some more. But I got Feoral goo in my hair that needs washing out. Soooo..." Xander reluctantly untangled himself from his fellow Scoobies and headed for the shower.  
  
Buffy watched him go - a look of contemplation on her face. After a minute or two she got up and headed to the shower as well.  
  
"Buffy! Where are you going?"  
  
"To get some more Scooby snuggles, Will. Coming?"  
  
Willow hesitated of a moment, then, with a sly grin on her face, she followed Buffy into the shower. 


	2. Moving Into the House of Scooby

Title: Moving Into the House of Scooby  
  
Authors: Mike and Tony McD  
  
Rating: mild R  
  
Category: season 7 AU/ early season 2 (kinda)  
  
Pairings: B/X, W/X, W/B, B/W/X  
  
Summary: Sequel to 'Rebuilding the House of Scooby'. The gang start coming to terms with their new situation. Continues right on from where 'Rebuilding' finishes.  
  
Distribution: Go for it, just tell us where.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and enjoyment.  
  
Authors' notes: This is a collaborative effort between Tony and me due to Tony's illness. Feedback is appreciated.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"I love you two in every possible sense of the word, in every way possible, even in ways thought to be impossible. Buffy, Willow; you two are my heart and soul. My everything. I couldn't stop loving you if my life depended on it. Even when my life depended on it."  
  
Xander was knocked to the floor as two other Scoobies launched themselves at him. Tears of happiness and love soaked his shirt as he held them close to his chest. To his heart. They held each other for a long time.  
  
"What do we do now?" Willow asked into Xander's chest.  
  
"We take it one day at a time. Together." Buffy told her.  
  
"Coolness."  
  
Xander lifted his head up off the floor.  
  
"Actually I was thinking I should get up and have a shower. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the Scooby snuggles here, and I'm looking forward to some more. But I got Feoral goo in my hair that needs washing out. Soooo..." Xander reluctantly untangled himself from his fellow Scoobies and headed for the shower.  
  
Buffy watched him go - a look of contemplation on her face. After a minute or two she got up and headed to the shower as well.  
  
"Buffy! Where are you going?"  
  
"To get some more Scooby snuggles, Will. Coming?"  
  
Willow hesitated of a moment, then, with a sly grin on her face, she followed Buffy into the shower.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
Even the best made (or lust made) plans of a Slayer can be derailed by a locked door.  
  
"Xander! Open the door! Come on. Let me in!" Buffy called out to Xander in the shower.  
  
"Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin!" he sung back.  
  
"You let us in and I promise me and Willow will get all huffy and puffy and blow your house down." She said in a sweet and innocent voice. The only response from Xander was the sound of a dropped shampoo bottle.  
  
In the mean time, Willow was having second thoughts. And third ones. And fourth ones. With a strangled eep, Willow bolted for Xander's room.  
  
"Willow! Wait! Willow?" Buffy caught up with Willow and they sat on the bed.  
  
"What's the matter? Don't you want..."  
  
"Yes!... No!... Maybe. I don't know, Buffy. It's just all so... and it's like all of a sudden, whoosh! Group grope in the shower. Going from never been kissed to menage a Scooby is just too quick."  
  
"You've never been kissed?"  
  
"No!" Willow jumped up in a panic and started power freaking. "Xander's got all this experience and I don't know how to kiss properly and what happens if I'm a terrible kisser and Xander hates me and the Scooby gang breaks up and we go all evil and destroy the world and..." Buffy grabbed hold of Willow shoulders.  
  
"Willow, breathe, OK? Breathe."  
  
"Breathe." Willow repeated.  
  
"That's it, breathe in and out. Calm down. Relax. It's going to be OK."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"I'm positive. Look, who knows Xander better than anyone else in the world?"  
  
"Me. I suppose." Willow mumbled.  
  
"And could he ever hate you?"  
  
"No." the red head admitted.  
  
"After everything that he went through, he loves you, loves us, more than ever. I don't think there's anything that would make him hate you. Right?"  
  
"Right." Sighing Willow sat down next to Buffy again. There was a moment of silence.  
  
"You never kissed anyone before?"  
  
"Not-a-one."  
  
"Not even a practice kiss?" Willow looked confusedly at Buffy.  
  
"Practice kiss?"  
  
"Yeah, you know. Practicing kissing with your friends. You never did that?"  
  
"No. Did you?"  
  
"All the time back in LA. We'd get all the girls at slumber parties practicing with each other. That's how I learnt. Hell, I bet Cordelia and Harmony got some practice in together all the time." Buffy stopped, the image of Cordelia macking on Harmony bouncing around her mind.  
  
"You want some practice, Will?"  
  
"Practice?" Willow asked, a little shocked.  
  
"Yeah, I could teach you before Xander gets out of the shower."  
  
"W... wouldn't that make me... you know... kinda gay?" Buffy just raised an eyebrow at Willow.  
  
"Oh! Right. That Tara thing. Got ya."  
  
"OK, Wills. Here's the deal. The key to good kissing is to relax."  
  
"Relax."  
  
"That's right. You ready?"  
  
A nod.  
  
Willow watched as Buffy leaned in. Willow froze, stiff as a board, as Buffy's lips touched hers. After a few seconds of trying Buffy backed off.  
  
"What did I say about needing to relax?"  
  
"I can't, OK."  
  
"You have to."  
  
"Buffy, I couldn't relax with a box of Valium washed down with a case of whisky."  
  
Buffy tried stifling a giggle but it escaped. Willow started giggling, which started Buffy laughing, which set Willow off, and soon the pair were in fits of gut aching laughter. It took them a minute or two to get under control again.  
  
"Case of whisky?"  
  
"At least a case, maybe two." Willow told her friend.  
  
Without warning, Buffy leaned in again and kissed her. Willow started to freeze up again, but stopped. She closed her eyes. She relaxed a little.  
  
Suddenly it was OK.  
  
Suddenly it was better than OK.  
  
Suddenly oxygen became an issue.  
  
"Wow."  
  
"OK, that was..." Buffy was cut off by Willow's lips.  
  
The kiss was getting pretty intense when Xander walked in. He froze at the sight before him. It took Buffy and Willow a few seconds to realise that Xander was standing inside the doorway. They quickly sprung apart.  
  
"Xander! I..."  
  
"Don't mind me Buff. Obviously I've fallen asleep in the shower and I'm having THAT dream again. So I'm just going to wake up now and turn the cold water up. A lot."  
  
"No, you see, Willow was worried about not knowing how to kiss properly and I offered to help her practice and that's how... yeah."  
  
Xander looked over at Willow.  
  
"So... Wills. What do you think?"  
  
"What do I think? I think I'm kinda bi."  
  
Xander gave a strange little laugh, turned and headed out of the room again. Willow raced after him.  
  
"Wait! I'm sorry!"  
  
Xander stopped and faced her.  
  
"You've got nothing to be sorry about, I'm not upset."  
  
"Then where are you going?"  
  
"Cold shower."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Parent teacher night? When?" A startled Xander asked Willow as they walked hand in hand to school on Monday.  
  
"Week after next. Why?"  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Spike? As in Spike that vamp that..." Buffy tailed off. The Scooby Gang was assembled in the library. Xander nodded.  
  
"Him and Drucilla: Queen of the Crazy."  
  
"Why'd he come here?" a frightened Willow asked.  
  
"Um... it was because of Drucilla. She was pretty trashed after some mob attack and Spike brought her here to restore her."  
  
"Sunnydale, it's just a regular vampire health spa."  
  
"I did some research on this Spike. Like Xander said, he's killed two Slayers and left a trail of death and destruction wherever he went. The Watcher's Diaries speak of him as a particularly dangerous vampire."  
  
"And let's not forget Drucilla killing Kendra. My future history aside, we need dust those two real quick." Xander got up and started pacing.  
  
"Alright, so Spike and his gang crash parent teacher night. Something about the night of some vampire saint or crusade, I really can't remember exactly."  
  
"The Night of Saint Vigeous?" Giles perked up concerned.  
  
"Yeah! That's the guy."  
  
"Oh dear."  
  
"Oh dear? Giles! What's with the oh dear!?!?"  
  
"Er, uh, from memory it's a night of a great vampire massacre. I'll need to consult my books for more information."  
  
"Might be a good idea to get Miss Calender involved with the research." Xander suggested.  
  
The bell rang for next period and they started to head off to class.  
  
"What's next on the program of fun for you guys?" Xander asked as they walked down the hall.  
  
"French." Buffy replied with a resigned sigh.  
  
"It's ze language of love." Willow said with a little French accent and she and Buffy went off to class. Shaking his head in amusement Xander headed to wood shop.  
  
"French." He snorted. "Cheese eating surrender monkeys."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Next thing I know there's two of me running around trying to kill each other. Complete chaos." Xander was entertaining Buffy and Willow in the quadrangle during lunch. The three of them were snuggled up together under a tree and just enjoying being with each other.  
  
A shadow fell across them.  
  
"What pathetic tale are you wasting good oxygen on this time, Harris?" It was Cordelia. It had been decided that she wouldn't be told about the whole situation with Xander until it was absolutely necessary.  
  
"Just telling the tale of the time I got split into two by a demon." Xander told her light heartedly.  
  
"Wonderful. Looser in stereo."  
  
"Maybe I should tell you the tale of the bug man and the basement."  
  
"Whatever. Look, I'm just here to tell you that Giles wants to see you guys after fifth period. Mentioned something about vampires and parent teacher night? So if you need a hand with anything just don't hesitate to not call me. I'm so over the whole vampire sacrifice deal. Understand?" With a little huff she left.   
  
Ever since Cordelia was exposed to the Slayers world she had become something of an interested observer of the three. But she couldn't understand what was going on with them lately. She might spell stuff with her arms but even she knew that no growth spurt could turn Friday's geek into Monday's hotness. The very fact she could even use 'Xander Harris' and 'hotness' in the same sentence was an indication of the Hellmouth being involved.  
  
Then there was the unnerving closeness thing. In the past few days you would have needed a crowbar to separate the three of them. And the looks they had been giving each other. ALL of them. Cordelia was used to seeing Willow shooting out the wishful loving looks at a completely clueless Xander. But recently the looks had become less wishful and more substantial and not just restricted to Willow any more.  
  
All in all it screamed creepy magic and Xander was the number one suspect. Cordelia was determined that he wouldn't get away with it.  
  
Back under the tree, it was an amused Xander who watched her retreating figure.  
  
"I'd almost forgotten how pleasant it is to be on the receiving end of one of Cordy's verbal drive-by shootings." 


	3. Cracking Foundations of the House of Sco...

Title: Cracking Foundations of the House of Scooby  
  
Authors: Mike and Tony McD  
  
Rating: PG (for this bit)  
  
Category: season 7 AU/ early season 2 (kinda)  
  
Pairings: B/X, W/X, W/B, B/W/X  
  
Summary: Sequel to 'Rebuilding the House of Scooby' and 'Moving into the House of Scooby'. The night of St. Vigeous approaches and Cordy threatens the House of Scooby.  
  
Distribution: Go for it, just tell us where.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and enjoyment.  
  
Authors' notes: This is a collaborative effort between Tony and me due to Tony's illness. This is just a short part to tide over until the weekend. Don't kill us. Feedback is appreciated.  
  
*-*-*-*  
  
"There is nothing in the chronicles about a-an extraneous lunar cycle."  
  
"The Order never accurately calculated the Mesopotamian calender. Rupert, you have GOT to read something that was published after 1066."  
  
"Very funny."  
  
"What's the what?" Buffy said as she and the gang entered the library after fifth period. As they sat themselves down around the table Jenny Calender did a double take when she saw Xander.  
  
"We... er, Miss Calender has been researching, well, uh, surfing on her computer, a-and she's... Well according to her calculations, Saturday week is the night of St. Vigeous."  
  
"Let me guess, he wasn't big on chocolates and flowers?" quipped Buffy.  
  
"No, he lead a crusade of, of vampires. They swept through Edessa, Harran, and points east."  
  
"And they didn't leave much behind."  
  
"Just what I need, parent teacher night, a vamp crusade, and my own undead wanna be rapist. It doesn't get any better than this." A sudden thought passed through Buffy's mind. "Xander, you said Spike and his gang trash parent teacher night, right?"  
  
"Yeah,"  
  
"But the night of St. Vigeous isn't until the Saturday. Are you sure it's the Saturday?"  
  
"I did the calculations three times." Jenny told the blonde Slayer who scratched her head in confusion.  
  
"Something doesn't fit." Buffy looked at Xander. "What was the Saturday like?"  
  
Xander shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Nothing special. No great vamp crusade if that's what you mean. Come to think of it, it was pretty quiet vamp wise for a while after parent teacher night. We did kinda take out a bunch of them at the school."  
  
"So Spike and his fang gang turn up on the Thursday, gets a whole bunch of them dusted, and the night of St. Vigeous is a non event."  
  
A light bulb lit above Giles' head.  
  
"By acting precipitously Spike depleted their ranks enough to ruin the night of St. Vigeous."  
  
"But why? If this St. Vigeous thing is such a bad ass time, why attack then? Why not wait until the big night?"  
  
"Uh, Buff. Spike has a real hard on for Slayers." Realising what he said Xander quickly moved on. "He's killed two Slayers and keen to add a third to his resume. He's not exactly big on patience or ritual."  
  
Watching the discussion, Jenny Calender wondered what the hell happened to Xander and why he knew so much. She was about to ask Giles when the library doors burst open and Cordelia came stomping in, an angry and determined look on her face.  
  
"OK Xander Harris you perverted sicko! Don't think I'm not on to you little scheme!"  
  
"Cordy! What the HELL are you on about? Did ya use too much hair spray in a confined space again?"  
  
"Cut the innocent act, I know you're using dark magic."  
  
"Dark...?"  
  
"Don't even try to deny it. How else can you explain it? Friday you're a pimple on the student body, then abracadabra! Monday you're the Swiss chocolate of eye candy. Growth spurt my ass! You worked the black magic! And that's not the worst of it. Oh, not by a long shot! You put the mystical whammy on Buffy and Willow so that they're your little sex slaves."  
  
Rising in anger Buffy advanced on Cordy.  
  
"Sex slaves?"  
  
"Oh please! When you and Willow aren't all over him you're all over each other like a pair of sick freaks!"  
  
Buffy lunged at Cordelia but Xander grabbed her held her back.  
  
"ENOUGH!!!!" Giles bellowed. Tears filled Willow's eyes and she ran out of the library crying. Xander struggled to stop Buffy from attacking Cordy.  
  
"XANDER!"  
  
"DAMN IT! BUFFY!"  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
Xander steadied her and looked her in the eye.  
  
"Forget Cordy! Go catch Willow!"  
  
Buffy hesitated for a second, then with a final venomous glare at Cordelia, took after the red head. Xander then rounded on the cheerleader in fury.  
  
"Giles. Explain the situation to Cordelia." Xander stepped up to Cordy, his face just inches from hers. His face a mask of pure anger, hers one of genuine fear.  
  
"We loose Willow again and I'll kill you myself." With that he ran out to try to find Buffy and Willow. 


	4. Garbage Day at the House of Scooby

Title: Garbage Day at the House of Scooby  
  
Authors: Mike and Tony McD  
  
Rating: mild R  
  
Category: season 7 AU/ early season 2 (kinda)  
  
Pairings: B/X, W/X, W/B, B/W/X  
  
Summary: Follows on from 'Cracking Foundations of the House of Scooby'. The Scooby Gang is in danger of being ripped apart has Xander worried. Will history repeat itself?  
  
Distribution: Go for it, just tell us where.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and enjoyment.  
  
Authors' notes: This is a collaborative effort between Tony and me due to Tony's illness. Feedback is appreciated.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
Buffy ran through the halls looking for Willow. She had no idea what was going to say when she caught up with Willow. She did, however, have a pretty good idea what she was going to do to Cordelia the next time she saw her.  
  
Buffy turned right, passed the science lab, and then heard a sniffle. She paused, trying to home in on where it came from. Another sniffle and the faint sounds of crying coming from the janitor's closet. Gently she knocked on the door.  
  
"Willow? It's me, Buffy." There was no reply.  
  
"Willow. Look, I'm coming in. OK?" Buffy opened the door and went in.  
  
Willow was sitting on the floor, her eyes red, her cheeks and shirt wet with tears. The sadness in Willow's face broke Buffy's heart. Buffy grabbed a roll of paper hand towels and, ripping off a piece, gave it to Willow. Willow took it, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. Buffy nearly laughed at the un-Willow like sound as she blew her nose. But any merriment died a quick death as Willow looked up at Buffy with hurt and sadness. Buffy sat down beside her, not knowing what to say or even do.  
  
"What do you want?" Willow asked Buffy with an edge to her voice.  
  
"You don't actually believe Cordelia, do you? About Xander doing that stuff?"  
  
"No, of course not. It's just..." Willow looked down at the floor "Leave me alone."  
  
"What?" Buffy asked. Willow looked up at her again, anger replacing hurt in her expression.  
  
"I don't want to talk to you. Go away."  
  
"Can't we just..."  
  
"I said go away!" insisted Willow, anger boiling to the surface.  
  
"Willow..."  
  
"Get out! Get Out! GET OUT!!!" Willow screamed at Buffy. Hurt, Buffy left. Out in the hallway, tears welled up in Buffy's eyes. With a burst of Slayer speed, Buffy ran out of the school.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
Xander sat down on the damp grass next to the tombstone. Ordinarily, a person sitting in a Sunnydale graveyard at night would be the definition of suicide, but it didn't worry Xander that much. Partly it was the fact that after so many years fighting vampires he was as much the hunter as the hunted. Mostly, however, it was because at this point he didn't care.  
  
"Funny, isn't it? I got to watch my world go to hell. Saw the gang drift apart, the people I love slowly destroy themselves, become everything we fought against.  
  
"Now I find myself here. Back to the beginning. I thought this was my chance to change it. To keep the Scooby Gang together, fix the mistakes of the past. But maybe I'm destined just to change the path to the same ending as before. Different path, same end." Xander gave a hollow chuckle.  
  
"I love them. I'm *in* love with them and that, my friend, is as scary as anything the Hellmouth could spit out. Being in love with just one person is an intense experience as it is. But two? You have no idea buddy."  
  
His fingers traced the outlines of Jessie's name.  
  
"But when it's Buffy and Willow, you welcome it. All the pain, the danger, the whole emotional roller coaster, because you know they are worth it.  
  
"Dawnie told me once that seeing and knowing was my power. When it comes to Buff and Wills, I think she was right. I can see them, the real them that is. The spark, who they really are, what they can become. And I know that it's worth a thousand, a million lifetimes of hell, just to live the one happy lifetime with them."  
  
Behind him he heard something. Jumping up, he whirled around to face whatever danger was out there.  
  
Ten feet from him stood Buffy, huge tears welling up and spilling down her cheeks. With a sob she closed the distance and Xander held her close. All Buffy's emotions came flooding out in her tears. For a long time the two stood there, in the middle of all the death, a monument to life.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"You know Buffy, this is so much easier when Joyce is clued in on the whole Slayer gig." Xander grumped as he climbed through Buffy's window.  
  
"No way. Mom is not getting involved in my whacked out life. I want to keep her safe."  
  
"Buffy, when she knows she's safer. When she knows, it's better for both of you." Xander sat down on Buffy's bed and picked up Mr Gordo. He held the stuffed pig in front of his face and waved its arms at Buffy.  
  
"You need to tell her Buffy. Once she knows its better. Trust me. Us pigs know these things." Xander said in a piggy voice. He put the pig back on the bed.  
  
"I'd listen to the little guy. He's got piggy intuition."  
  
Buffy sat beside Xander and picked the pig up again. She absently played with his nose.  
  
"She's the one normal thing left in my totally abnormal life. I don't want to loose that."  
  
"You know, when your mom found out, in my timeline anyway, she didn't handle it well to start with. I think that partly has to do with the fact that you dumped it on her when Willow was in a coma in hospital, you were wanted by the police for Kendra's murder, and Angelus was about to end the world. You guys didn't have much time to talk. It was in retrospect, a less than ideal time for her to find out.  
  
"But when she did, when she had a chance to come to terms with that part of your life, she was the greatest. Yeah, she worried about you, that's what good parents do. But she worried less knowing that you weren't out there alone, that you had Giles and Willow and me looking out for you. Plus knowing what was out there and knowing the rules of what to do and not do made her a lot safer than not knowing.  
  
"And don't worry about loosing the normality. She kept your feet firmly on the ground. You could come home after a hard day of saving the world and, once she made sure you were OK, she made sure you did your homework and took out the garbage.  
  
"You don't know how lucky you are. My parents suck big time and Willow's, well, they are best described as indifferent to her. Distant. Your mom took us in like we were members of the family. She didn't go out and fight vamps, but she was there waiting for you when you came back. Ready with the love and bandages."  
  
Buffy listened to what Xander said. It was hard keeping it a secret from her mom and she didn't especially like lying to her all the time. But a little doubt remained.  
  
"I'll think about it." She told him and Xander left it at that. They had discussed one issue, but the biggest still remained.  
  
"She doesn't believe Cordy's little theory. Neither do I for that matter. But she's freaked about... you know... about us. About this... thing... developing between us."  
  
"What do you think? I mean what do you think is developing between us, Buffy? What exactly do you think this 'thing' is?"  
  
Buffy thought for a while.  
  
"It's complicated."  
  
Xander gave a little laugh.  
  
"When isn't it?"  
  
"It's just, I... we have these feelings, new and freaky feelings. My life is a freak show so it figures my love life would be high in the freak factor. First there was the vampire slayer in love with a vampire with a soul thing. Now I'm falling for my two best friends. The first is a guy from the future, while the second is from the present, but just happens to be a girl. Welcome to Buffy Summers, the walking freak show."  
  
"You're... falling... for us? As in love. As in falling in love with Willow... and me?"  
  
"What part of 'falling for' didn't you get? Yes, that's exactly what I meant! And I should be freaking out and having a major wiggins about this but with all the freaking and wigging about this future stuff, and Spike, and Angel, and my whole supernatural life I don't have any freaking or wigging left over to spare. All I know is that when I'm with you guys, it makes it all better. I feel safe and loved and normal and all I want to do is be with you guys and not just in a hanging out at the Bronze kind of way and it scares me.  
  
"That's why when Willow started screaming at me to go away it hurt me so much. Because as scary as it is having this 'thing' with you guys, it scares me even more if I loose it."  
  
Xander watched Buffy and didn't see a vampire slayer and champion of good. He saw a young woman, frightened and looking for reassurance that she was loved by the people she had given her heart to.  
  
Gently he brushed a stray hair behind her ear and ran his thumb over her cheek. Cupping her jaw in his hand, he lent towards her and kissed her lips. It was a gentle, loving kiss from the heart.  
  
"You're not going to loose me Buffy. I'm always going to be here for you, loving you, loving both of you."  
  
"What about Willow?"  
  
"You love her Buffy?" a nod "Then give her some time."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
Willow got a little scare when she entered her room. Xander was sitting on her bed holding a rather old and battered Barbie doll. It took Xander a second to realise Willow was there.  
  
"Wills! I... er... your mom let me in. Um... does she even have eyes these days? 'Cause she didn't even blink when I turned up. Not even a questioning glance."  
  
Willow rolled her eyes and gave a bitter snort.  
  
"You know her, if it isn't in one of precious psychology journals then she hasn't a damn clue."  
  
Xander was taken back by her bitterness. Nervously he held up the Barbie doll to her.  
  
"I... er... bring a peace offering."  
  
Willow looked down at the doll in confusion. Xander saw the confusion.  
  
"Eleven years is a long time to hold onto something that isn't yours. Especially if stealing it hurt someone you love."  
  
Willow's features softened as she realised what it was. She took the doll and ran her fingers across the dirty and worse for wear Barbie. Tears distorted the doll as she started crying. Xander held her and her tears soaked his shirt. After a few minutes she stopped crying and Xander gave a little laugh.  
  
"All I seem to be able to do these days is make you and Buffy cry. It's murder on a guys ego, not to mention shirts." He joked indicating to the wet spot on his shirt.  
  
Willow gave him a little, but genuine smile. Xander looked at her, gentle concern on his face.  
  
"You wanna talk, Wills?"  
  
For long moments Willow did nothing but look at the doll.  
  
"Cordy was right."  
  
"Cordy was what now?"  
  
"She's right. I am a sick freak."  
  
"Wills! Enough with the crazy talk. You're not a sick freak."  
  
"I am, Xander. I'm sick and perverted. I... it's... Buffy... and..."  
  
"You think you being attracted to Buffy makes you sick and perverted? Since when did you start channelling your grandfather? You love who you love. The plumbing isn't really an issue. And if you're falling for a woman then it's hard to beat Buffy for a better one. Trust me, I know."  
  
"You love her, don't you?"  
  
A sense of deja vu came over Xander, but lately it had been deja vu 24/7.  
  
"Don't you?"  
  
"And that's the big problem! I love you, I've always loved you and for the first time you love me back. But now all of a sudden there's Buffy too and it's like I'm being pulled apart and having to choose between you two." Her voice cracking as she fought back her tears. "And I don't want to. I can't." she started crying again and once again Xander held her until she stopped.  
  
"Wills. For the smartest person I know you sure can be clueless about stuff." He knelt down in front of her and took her hand. Willow's heart skipped a beat as he did so. One of her long held fantasies involved Xander getting down on one knee and taking her hand.  
  
"We're not asking you to choose between us. It's not an either or type of deal. I know that you hate tests with it in it, but what we want... what we hope for, is that you fill in that little circle marked C: all of the above. You're allowed to do that you know."  
  
He saw that the look of fear and hurt had gone and in its place was uncertainty. He could live with uncertainty. He stood up.  
  
"I better go before I say something stupid and you stab me to death with a Barbie doll." He moved towards the door.  
  
"Xander." He stopped just before the door.  
  
"Why did you return it? I mean it's just a doll. After all these years, why return it now?"  
  
"I was wrong to take it. Ok, yes, it was years ago, but I don't want anything of yours that you haven't given to me freely of your own accord." Willow walked up to him and took his hand.  
  
She gave him the Barbie.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
If there's one thing that's good for distracting a slayer from her problems then it's slaying vamps. At the moment her problems with Willow were the last thing on her mind as she ducked a vamps kick aimed at her head.  
  
She ducked under the kick, punched the vamp in the face and threw it into the side of the tomb. While Buffy had her back turned the other vamp grabbed her from behind and went for her neck, but was stopped by the back of Buffy's head smashing into its nose. She broke free of its grasp and unleashed a withering hail of punches culminating in a powerful kick to the head that sent it flying.  
  
She rounded on the first vamp that was now up and re-entering the fight. It back fisted her, punched her twice in the head, then grabbed a fist full of her hair and rammed her face into the side of the tomb a few times.  
  
"OW! OW! OW! Watch the hair!" she yelled as she grabbed hold of the vamp's arm and twisted it, dislocating its shoulder. Roaring in pain the vamp dropped to one knee and Buffy shoved it to the ground and staked it.  
  
"Big sissy hair puller." She said as the vamp turned to dust. Behind her she heard a roar and spun around to see the second vamp leaping at her. It never got there as it got blind-sided by Xander who crash tackled it and the two went rolling on the ground.  
  
The vamp ended on top of Xander and went for the kill. Its face began to sizzle and smoke as Xander jammed a cross in it. The vamp recoiled in pain allowing Xander to roll clear and grab his axe that was lying on the ground. Two slashes across the vamp's chest and the coup de grace saw the vamps head separated from its body. Buffy came over and helped Xander up off the ground.  
  
"Nice axe work. Very Paul Bunyan."  
  
"Thanks Buff." He said brushing the grass of his jeans. He picked up his cross and shoved it into his jacket.  
  
"These two aside, it's a pretty quiet night. I'm heading back to the library to take this axe back to Giles and then head home. You wanna come?"  
  
"Nah, I'll catch up with Giles tomorrow. I've got a French test to study for next week."  
  
"Buffy Summers studying? Isn't that a sign of the apocalypse?" he teased with his patented playful Xander smirk.  
  
"You wanna talk about sign of the apocalypse? Xander Harris got a B in an assignment. I can hear the horsemen mounting up as we speak."  
  
"It was an B plus and it was for my woodwork project. And hello! I was a carpenter for 4 years so I better be good with my hands."  
  
"I'd like to test that theory." Willow said as she rounded the tomb. Xander gave a yelp in surprise.  
  
"Sweet fancy Moses! Will, don't do that to a man!"  
  
Buffy looked a little unsettled.  
  
"Willow... um, hi."  
  
"Yeah, hi. Buffy, can we talk?" Willow asked.  
  
"OK, sure. Whatever you want."  
  
"I just get going then. I'll see you both tomorrow at the library?"  
  
"Sure Xander, we'll see you tomorrow."  
  
There was a period of awkward silence.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be sorry Willow. I should have given you space to deal. I shouldn't have tried to push it."  
  
"You're not the one who should be apologising here. I was the one who yelled at you."  
  
"Yeah, but only after that bitch Cordelia came in and started firing off at us. Don't worry about what she says, OK? Before I became the Slayer I was exactly like her. Only I didn't single handedly put the ho into hooker. She's got more boobs than brains."  
  
"But they're nice boobs."  
  
"WILLOW!" a shocked Buffy yelled. Willow just giggled.  
  
"So what now?"  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"I don't know Giles."  
  
Xander was sitting with Giles and Miss Calender explaining the situation to them in the library. After she and Cordelia were given the short version of Xander's tale, Jenny had pushed for Giles to tell her the whole story. Part of her wished he hadn't.  
  
"This thing with us never happened in the future. This is the undiscovered country and I sure as hell ain't no Captain Kirk. I'm flying blind here."  
  
Jenny laid a reassuring hand on his.  
  
"Love is traditionally blind."  
  
Xander sighed in resignation.  
  
"I know. I'm just scared. What if I screw it up? I don't want what happened before happening again."  
  
"No one does. A-and you have to realise that it probably won't... happen... this time..." Giles broke off as he looked towards the doors of the library.  
  
Xander turned to she Buffy and Willow standing there. He stood up, unsure exactly what was happening. Willow walked up to him and, a little uncertainly, kissed him.  
  
Time stopped as they kissed. Her kiss was exactly like how he remembered it from all those years ago. When it finished Xander started to speak but Willow held her finger to his lips.  
  
"The answer is C: all of the above." 


	5. The United House of Scooby

Title: The United House of Scooby  
  
Authors: Mike and Tony McD  
  
Rating: mild R  
  
Category: season 7 AU/ early season 2 (kinda)  
  
Pairings: B/X, W/X, B/W, B/X/W  
  
Summary: Sequel to 'Garbage Day at the House of Scooby'. Parent Teacher Night, the appearance of Spike, and a united House of Scooby ready to kick his ass. What more do you want?  
  
Distribution: Anywhere, just let us know.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and enjoyment.   
  
Authors' notes: This is a collaborative effort between Tony and me due to Tony's illness. Feedback is appreciated.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
Being at school on a weekend was most students' idea of a sucky weekend. To Buffy, it was just another day in her wacky life. On the up side was that fact that Willow and Xander were there too. On the down side was the fact that they were discussing fighting an especially sick and evil vampire from Xander's past and Buffy's future.  
  
They were discussing the upcoming night of St. Vigeous and Spike's imminent arrival in the library. Xander and Giles were deep in thought; Buffy was trying not to let her worry show; Willow wasn't even bothering to try, she was worried and didn't care who knew it. The only one who wasn't thinking about the upcoming events was Jenny Calendar; she was far more interested in the interplay between the teens.  
  
Xander was pacing around the library lost in thought, trying to remember everything that happened all those years ago. He looked over and saw how worried Willow was. He went over to her and gently kissed her on the top of her head and sat down next to her, holding her hand reassuringly. Buffy took hold of the other one. Jenny noted just how much Buffy and Xander had a calming effect on the red head.  
  
"Don't sweat it Willow. We stopped it in Xander's timeline and we'll stop it here. Plus thanks to Future Boy here we're all clued up on Spike. He ain't walking away from it this time." Buffy reassured her.  
  
"Yes, but be that as it may, we still need a plan. We can't rely on events unfolding exactly the way they did before." Explained Giles.  
  
"Yeah, I'm not keen on letting Deadboy offer me as a snack to Spike again." Xander joked, then his eyes got wide as he realized something.  
  
"Damn!" he exclaimed, slapping his forehead "Deadboy!"  
  
"Er... Deadboy?" Giles asked in confusion.  
  
"Angel. Damn it! He was there that time. He tried to trick Spike into thinking he was on his side. Spike didn't buy it and Angel proceeded to kick undead ass." Xander looked over to Buffy.  
  
"You haven't heard anything from Angel since he left, like when he might be back?"  
  
"No. He said he needed time to think. Didn't say where he was going."  
  
"Ugh! As much as it kills me to say this, but I wish he was here right now." Xander reluctantly admitted.  
  
"I'm sure we can manage without him." Giles reassured the group. Mentally though he was worried about the loss of a valuable ally for the fight.  
  
"Anything else you can remember?" Jenny asked.  
  
"Um... well, Buffy sent me to get Angel, then me and him were busy fighting our own little battle with Spike's minions, so there's a chunk of what happened I only got second hand." Xander gave a little chuckle. "I only wish I got to see your mom hit Spike in the back of the head with that ax. Pity she didn't use the sharp end."  
  
Buffy jumped up in fear.  
  
"My MOM?!?! She's there?"  
  
"Yeah, parent teacher night, remember? Your mom actually takes an interest in your schooling, unlike mine who don't care, or Will's who tend to forget they actually have a smart and beautiful daughter."  
  
"No way! There is no way I want Spike anywhere near her."  
  
"Your mom is going to be there if you like it or not."  
  
"DAMN IT! Xander, that isn't an option here! Give me an option I can use!"  
  
"What are you looking at me for? Giles is the Watcher and you're still the Slayer! I'm just the exposition fairy around here!"  
  
"Xander, can I talk with you in my office?" asked Giles. The two men went into the office.  
  
"Giles, I'm not really the make-the-plan type guy. I'm the support-o guy, the ideas man, the Scooby clown. I'm not Alexander the Great."  
  
"No, but you are the one with both the knowledge and the experience. A-and like it or not, th-they look to you now not just for support, but... but for guidance, for direction. They're worried about all this and they're sitting out there looking to you, not for support, but for you to behave like the man you are. Not the boy you used to be!"  
  
Xander and Giles stared at each other for a moment, then a chastised Xander turned on his heel and stomped out of the office. He sat down heavily and crossed his arms defensively. There was an awkward silence all round. Everyone had seen the tongue lashing Giles had given Xander, and in Buffy's case heard it, due to her Slayer enhanced hearing.  
  
"OK, how about this for an option? Pre-emptive strike. We attack them before parent teacher night. I know where the Anointed One is holed up. We go there during the day and we hit them hard enough to ruin their plans. All we need to do is time it so that Spike and Drucilla are there too."  
  
"Take on an entire nest of vamps? There would have to be at least a dozen vamps in there!" Buffy exclaimed.  
  
"Closer to two dozen actually. That's why we need to hit them hard and fast then bug out of there. That's why we need to do it during the day, sunlight is our friend."  
  
"But still. Five against 24?"  
  
"Six." Cordelia said from the doorway. She looked at the group nervously. "That's if... if you can use me that is."  
  
Buffy got out of her chair, a look of anger on her face as she started to advance on the cheerleader.  
  
"You come in here after everything you said and expect..."  
  
"BUFFY!" Giles yelled at his Slayer. They glared at each other for a second before Buffy sat back in her seat. Giles looked over to Xander.  
  
"Can you use Cordelia for this?" he asked the younger man. Xander looked angrily at Cordelia for a moment. Xander's anger faded a little, and he nodded.  
  
"Cordelia, take a seat." Giles told her.  
  
Buffy and Willow glared at Xander and then Giles.  
  
"So what's the plan?" Jenny Calendar asked Xander.  
  
"OK... right... Spike... Mmmm... Oh! His first appearance was one night at the Bronze just before parent teacher night. I can't remember which night though. When Spike makes his appearance there, we'll know he'll be with the rest of them the next morning when we hit the place."  
  
"But what about School? I mean we'll have to cut classes if we're going to do that." Willow chipped in. Buffy looked at Giles and Jenny.  
  
"We've got two teachers here. I'm pretty sure that between them they can work something out."  
  
"We'll think of something, but we still need to figure a way to fight on the wrong side of four to one and come out alive." Jenny said looking to Xander.  
  
"Well, since Willow isn't up on the magic, Ms Calendar you're going to have to be our Sabrina for this. Giles, you can help her. All we need is a way to be able to get in on stealth mode, nothing fancy.  
  
"Wills, Cordy, you two are our bartenders for this party."  
  
"Bartenders?" Cordelia asked confusedly.  
  
"Yeah, you and Willow are going to be serving the vamps Molotov cocktails from the walkway above the factory floor."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Leaving me to take on any survivors. Where are you going to be?" Buffy asked Xander.  
  
"Usual place. Down there with you, watching your back."  
  
Buffy nodded. "Sounds like a plan." Everyone agreed.  
  
"Right then. Jenny and I will research... err... 'stealthy'... um... spells."  
  
"Well, you know how much I love researching, but unfortunately I've got a French test I need to study for. You wanna be my study buddy Willow?"  
  
"Sure." With that the two of them got up and left. The meeting broke up.  
  
Xander headed to the stacks and sat down in a quiet corner. He held his head in his hands and exhaled heavily. Between Buffy and Giles yelling at him and the pressure of coming up with the plan, Xander wasn't having the best time. He suddenly sensed he wasn't alone and looked up.  
  
Cordelia.  
  
"I just want to say that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I said, which when you think about it wasn't my fault because you didn't tell me about what was going on so how was I supposed to know about this future crap, and speaking of crap Giles said that in the future you and I were dating and unless my brain fell out I would never have dated geek like you were."  
  
Xander gave a small smile.  
  
"That almost sounded like an apology." He lent his head against the stack. "And in our own special way, I guess you're right. I should have told you the truth. But I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."  
  
"Are you crazy? I even step foot anywhere near them and Buffy will rip out my lungs and wear them as a cape!"  
  
"You run around attacking the people she loves, that I love, you better expect to get hurt. You said some shitty things that nearly cost me and Buffy our Willow. I'm not going to let you or anyone else screw up our chance to make the future better."  
  
"So why you let me in on the plan? Why not let Buffy use me as a punching bag?"  
  
"Because we need all the help we can get. Because I know you. I know you better that any other person alive knows you. Sure, you're an armor-plated bitch nine times out of ten, but underneath you're a good person. I'm giving you a chance to prove it."  
  
There was a moment of silence as Cordelia took it in.  
  
"Giles told me that you and I dated. He was just yanking my chain, wasn't he? No offense but I wouldn't date the old Xander if he was the sole heir to Armani."  
  
"But you'd date the new Xander?" he teased.  
  
"No way! I like my lungs where they are. Besides, Giles was just joking, right?"  
  
"No joke. We dated for about a year."  
  
"OK now I know you're lying. I've never dated any guy for that long."  
  
"All right, I'll prove it. On your recent trip to Tuscany there was a little incident involving a bottle of Tequila and a tattoo. You know the one, a little heart with wings. It looked very cute."  
  
Cordelia turned three shades of red.  
  
"What? How? Oh God! You SAW that? But to see that you'd have to be down... You mean that you... and I... you know."  
  
"NO! NO! NO! Not... all the way. But enough for me to see that tattoo up close on more than one occasion."  
  
"Oh God! Oh God! Oh my God!"  
  
"Funny, that's exactly what you said about two minutes after I first saw that tattoo."  
  
Cordelia added an extra shade or two of red to her face.  
  
"You're not running around telling everyone about... about... you know, us, are you?"  
  
"You mean am I writing a regular column for the school newspaper on Queen C foreplay? No. What happened is between you and me. And Buffy and Willow, but only if they ask."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Keeping secrets was a big factor in why things went wrong in my timeline. We kept secrets, we didn't talk, we hid our feelings. We isolated ourselves from each other. Not this time. Honesty can be painful, but in the end less painful than not being open and honest. They know that we had a thing in my timeline. I haven't exactly given them a blow by blow account of it, pardon the pun."  
  
"Good."  
  
"But of course it doesn't mean that I'm not going to tease you about it if the situation calls for it." He told her with a smirk on his face.  
  
"Xander Harris you had better not tell ANYONE about that tattoo or you're dead meat!"  
  
"Calm down Cordy. You secret is safe with me. Besides, I've got plenty of other stuff to use besides the tattoo."  
  
"How am I going to make it through the rest of high school with you being here?" Cordy asked the heavens.  
  
"Happier. Hopefully."  
  
"Xander, you were weird before, and you're even weirder now. I'm not sure if that's a bad thing or not." She said looking at him contemplatively. Xander shrugged.  
  
"Only time will tell, Cordy. Only time will tell."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"A lot of educators tell students, 'Think of your principal as your pal. I say, 'Think of me as your judge, jury, and executioner.' Tell me, who do you think is the most troublesome student in this school?" Snyder paused, not really expecting an answer.  
  
"Well, it is quite a match between you two. On the one hand, Buffy hasn't stabbed a horticulture teacher with a trowel."  
  
"I didn't stab anyone with a trowel. They were pruning shears." Shelia corrected Snyder.  
  
"On the other hand, Sheila has never burned down a school building."  
  
"W-well, that was never proven. The Fire Marshall said i-it coulda been mice."  
  
"Mice."  
  
"M-mice that were smoking?" Buffy tried but Snyder wasn't buying.  
  
"The two of you seem to be tied in the class-cutting and fight-starting events. You really are neck and neck here. It's quite exciting."  
  
"What does the winner get?" Shelia asked.  
  
"Expelled." Buffy looked at Snyder in shock. "Thursday is Parent-Teacher night. Your parents, assuming you have any, will meet your teachers, assuming you have any left. I've decided to put the two of you in charge of this event. You have three days to prepare the refreshments, make the banners and transform the school lounge into a habitable place for adults. This will incur my good will. And may affect what I tell your parents when I meet them. Are we clear?"  
  
"I'm clear." Buffy looked over to Sheila. "Don't you feel clear?" She looked back to Snyder. "We're very clear."  
  
"Good. Because you mess up this time, and your parents will be coming to clean out your lockers."  
  
Buffy and Sheila walked out his office.  
  
"Well, it shouldn't be that hard. We can work on the banners at lunch tomorrow and figure out refreshments then?" Buffy suggested.  
  
"Yeah, sure, whatever." Shelia replied. She spied an older blond boy and starts walking off. "Hey, Meatpie!"  
  
Xander and Willow slid up to Buffy with a grin on their faces.  
  
"Snyder's got you guys making party favours, huh?" asked Xander.  
  
"His two worst students. That's what mom sees when she looks at me. A Sheila."  
  
"There is a way to fix that you know." Xander suggested.  
  
"I'm not dragging my mom into my crappy Slayer life. I've told you that before."  
  
"OK, OK, just suggesting, that's all." Xander let it drop.  
  
"So we're Bronzing it tonight? See if Spike turns up?" Willow asked looping her arms through Buffy and Xander's.  
  
"Every night until he shows." Xander confirmed.  
  
"Is it wrong to have fun while doing the world saving thing?" Buffy wondered.  
  
"I'm sure the Watcher's Council would say so, but I'm betting they never took out a demon with a rocket launcher." Mused Xander. Buffy's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Rocket launcher?"  
  
"I'll tell you when we get to the Bronze tonight."  
  
"La vache... doit me... touche... de la... jeudi." Buffy looked at Willow. "Was it wrong? Should I use the plural?"  
  
"No. But you said, 'The cow should touch me from Thursday.'"  
  
"Maybe that's what I was feeling."  
  
"And you said it wrong."  
  
Buffy sank down in her seat.  
  
"Oh, je stink."  
  
"You're just not focused. It's just this Spike thing." Willow comforted the blonde.  
  
"Well, he didn't turn up last night. We've only got another night before Parent Teacher Night."  
  
Xander had been circulating keeping an eye out for Spike. He headed over to their table.  
  
"Guys, heads up. Spike just entered the front door."  
  
Buffy casually looked over in the direction of the door. She allowed herself a moment to look Spike over before turning back to the table.  
  
"OK, let's hit the dance floor, and remember, play dumb."  
  
"Not a problem Buff, been doing that for years."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
It was early the next morning and the gang had assembled in the library getting their gear together.  
  
"Why do we have to do this so early? " Cordelia moaned as she and Willow put the last of the Molotov Cocktails in the sports bag.  
  
"Great, not only do I have bags under my eyes, I smell like a gas station attendant."  
  
"Then this should take care of the smell." Jenny Calendar said handing out a leather necklace with a pouch attached. Cordelia gave it a sniff.  
  
"OH GROSS! What's this?"  
  
"It's a Quanteia, the Apache Indians used it to sneak up on their enemies undetected."  
  
"What, didn't their enemies have noses?"  
  
Giles took his Quanteia from Jenny.  
  
"It's far too early in the morning to have to listen to your infernal prattle. So would you put it on and keep quiet about it please!" grumped Giles.  
  
"OK! Jeeze. Switch to decaf."  
  
They gathered around the table to go over Xander's plan before they left.  
  
"Willow, Cordy, you guys are up on the walkway. Miss Calendar, you back them up. Giles, you're Robin Hood up in the roof. Buff, you got center stage, I'll be watching your back. When everyone is in place, Cordy and Willow start tossing cocktails. We're going for max damage so keep lightin' 'em and tossin' 'em until there ain't nothing left to toss. Once you've done that, the three of you bug out. Me, Buffy, and Giles will follow when things get too hot, so to speak."  
  
"Sounds like a plan. We ready?" Buffy asked. Heads nodded.  
  
"Let's do it."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Miss Edith speaks out of turn. She's a bad example, and will have no cakes today. Shhhh."  
  
"Darling, are you going to eat something?"  
  
"I've already eaten. I miss Prague."  
  
"You nearly died in Prague. Idiot mob. This is the place for us. The Hellmouth will restore you, put colour in your cheeks, metaphorically speaking, and in a few week's time...  
  
"The stars will align, and smile down on us."  
  
"And then, God, this town will burn."  
  
"A pretty fire!" she giggled.  
  
They hear chanting.  
  
"They're preparing." Drusilla told Spike.  
  
"St. Vigeous is coming up. Should be a party."  
  
"The boy doesn't trust you. They follow him." Drusilla runs her fingers through her hair. "I think sometimes that all my hair will fall out and I'll be bald."  
  
"Never happen. Alright. I'll go up and get chanty with the fellas, but you got to do me one favour. Get some rest." He told her as he got up and headed out to the main chamber.  
  
A large number of vamps were gathered before a makeshift alter with a large pentagram painted on it. Spike wasn't one for ritual but he never the less took his place among the gathered. As he did so, the world seemed to explode in flame.  
  
Up on the walkway Cordy and Willow were lighting and throwing Molotov Cocktails as fast as they could. A number of vamps disappeared in the flames and others caught alight as they struggled to escape the fires.  
  
Those that managed to avoid the fires ran smack dab into Buffy and Xander who hacked and staked into them, reducing their numbers further.  
  
From his vantage point up in the rafters Giles was dusting vamps with the help of his crossbow. In the pandemonium he spied a familiar figure. Taking aim, Giles unleashed an arrow and watched as it struck home.  
  
"Gotcha, you little bastard!" Giles muttered as the Anointed one became dust. He was snapped out of his revere by Willow's screams. Looking over to the walkway he saw Willow, Cordelia, and Jenny trapped by two vamps that were advancing on them from either side of the walkway. Jenny and Cordelia were keeping them at bay for the moment with crosses.  
  
With a curse Giles grabbed his last two arrows and fired twice. His aim was true and the three on the walkway escaped through a cloud of vamp dust. Out of arrows, it was time to leave. He took one more look down on the floor and saw Buffy and Xander busy with a couple of vamps.  
  
Buffy ducked under a punch thrown by a large vamp. She kicked it into a pile of broken packing cases and turned to help Xander with his vamp. She grabbed it by the hair and dragged it of him. A quick jab to the heart and it became dust.  
  
"You OK?"  
  
"Yeah, thanks Buff. We better get going." Xander said, trying to get his breath back.  
  
The second vamp charged at the two. Xander ducked under its lunge and Buffy tossed it into the flames.  
  
Movement beyond the flames caught Xander's eye.  
  
Spike was carrying Drusilla out of their room and to their car for a quick get away.  
  
"BUFFY!" Xander yelled and pointed at the bleach blonde vamp.  
  
Buffy looked around and found a piece of wooden railing. With a mighty heave, she sent it spearing at the retreating vamps.  
  
It missed Spike.  
  
But it found Drusilla.  
  
Spike let an animalistic roar of pain and anguish as his love crumbled into dust in his arms.  
  
For an instant, a wild-eyed Spike and a wide-eyed Slayer stared at each other. With a roar Spike jumped into his car and sped off.  
  
Buffy stared in shock as Spike raced out of the factory in his car. Xander tugged at her sleeve.  
  
"Buffy! Time to go!" She didn't move straight away. Xander grabbed her and spun her around.  
  
"Buffy! We'll get him another day! We got to go now!" he yelled as the factory around them started to collapse.  
  
Buffy snapped out of it and together they ran out of the factory.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Giles has us locked up in that library working on *your* weapons. Even slaves get minimum wage."  
  
Cordelia stared at Buffy's face.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're starting to look a little slagged. What, are you just skipping foundation entirely now?"  
  
"Cordelia, I have at least three lives to contend with, none of which really mesh. It's kind of like oil and water and a... third unmeshable thing."  
  
"Yeah, and I can see the oil." Cordelia saw Joyce talking to Willow.   
  
"Is that your mom? Now that is a woman that knows how to moisturize. Did it, like, skip a generation?"  
  
Joyce walked over to Buffy.  
  
"Well, I believe that I have seen every classroom on campus, and just as I get there all your teachers miraculously have stepped out." Behind her Willow smiles, proud of herself.  
  
"Oh!" Buffy noticed Snyder coming back into the room. "Oh. Um, but you haven't seen the boiler room yet. And, you know, that's really interesting, what with the boiler being in the room and all."  
  
Snyder came up to the group.  
  
"Hi. I'm Joyce Summers. I'm Buffy's mother."  
  
"Principal Snyder. I'm afraid we need to talk. My office is down here."  
  
Joyce followed Snyder to his office. Cordelia watched them go with a huge smile on her face. Buffy on the other hand was worried.  
  
"He didn't look very happy."  
  
"But you did such a good job." Willow objected.  
  
"When they're done talking..." Cordelia started.  
  
"What?"  
  
"My guess? Tenth high school reunion, you'll still be grounded."  
  
Willow picked up a cup and handed it to Cordelia.  
  
"Cordelia, have some lemonade."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
Joyce came out of Snyder's office with an angry look on her face. She was definitely going to have some words with her daughter when they got home. A student came up to her.  
  
"Mrs. Summers? You're Buffy's mom, right?"  
  
"Yes, and you are?"  
  
"Shelia. I helped Buffy prepare tonight."  
  
"That's nice dear. But I'm afraid that you'll have to do without her for the rest of the night. We've got some serious talking to do about her schooling."  
  
"Yeah, um... Buffy is busy doing something for one of the teachers and she asked me to take you to see her English teacher before you left."  
  
"Oh, OK. Well, lead the way. Hopefully she'll have something to say that won't get my blood pressure even higher."  
  
Shelia and Joyce headed down the hall.  
  
Meanwhile Xander and Willow were talking outside the chemistry lab.  
  
"So, Buffy's in trouble? Damn, I was kinda hoping the three of us could go out on a date tomorrow night."  
  
"A date?"  
  
"Yeah. Do some eating, do some Bronzing, do some Slaying."  
  
"How does that qualify as a date? That isn't any different to an average night out for us."  
  
"Easy, we do it dressed in our finest clothes. Of course they won't be so fine after the Slaying, but that's what you have to put up with when you're a Scooby." Xander said with an exaggerated sigh. Willow laughed. She stopped laughing when they heard the scream. Together they raced down the hall.  
  
Rounding the corner they saw Mrs. Summers backed into a corner by Shelia in full game face. Xander yelled to Willow.  
  
"Get Buffy!" and he charged at Shelia. Willow took off in the direction of the lounge.  
  
Xander crash tackled Shelia to the ground and the two wrestled on the floor for a moment before Shelia kicked out sending Xander crashing into the lockers. Stunned, Xander hardly had time block Shelia's charge as she lunged for his neck. They struggled for a moment before Xander kneed her in the stomach then threw her to the ground.  
  
Xander put himself between Shelia and Mrs. Summers.  
  
The sound of running feet made them turn and Buffy rounded the corner.  
  
"MOM!"  
  
"BUFFY!"  
  
"SLAYER!" Shelia roared and launched herself at Buffy. The two collided and they briefly struggled.  
  
"Spike said it's an eye for an eye." With a grunt Buffy flipped her over and plunged her stake into Shelia's heart. Buffy knelt in the vamps dust, panting partly because of the exertion, partly in fear because of what Shelia said.  
  
Xander knelt down beside Buffy.  
  
"I'm sorry Buffy. I didn't know about Shelia." He looked to Mrs. Summers. "Are you OK?"  
  
Joyce went to her daughter in shock.  
  
"What... what... was...that...?"  
  
Xander looked at Buffy.  
  
"I think it's time we told her."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
Xander sat on one of the benches in the courtyard of the school. He found it amazing, the difference between the school during the day and now, at night. They had explained everything in the library to Mrs. Summers, who was now with Buffy at home. It would take her a while, but Mrs. Summers would eventually deal.  
  
Xander closed his eyes.  
  
Mrs. Summers nearly got killed because he didn't know about Shelia. He wondered what else he didn't know, what he might have forgotten, and wondered if he would make a mistake that might get somebody killed. Someone who otherwise might have lived.  
  
Then there was Spike.  
  
He sensed a presence and opened his eyes.  
  
"Deadboy." Xander deadpanned.  
  
"I remember once a boy who fell in love with a beautiful girl. But the girl was in love with another man. A beast, really. Undeterred, he asked the girl out, but she was in love with the beast, and she broke the boy's heart. But the boy discovered that the girl was going to die. And even though she had broken the boy's heart, he was determined to save her even if it meant he would probably die in the attempt. The boy loved her so much that he went to the beast, demanded that the beast help him save the girl that they both loved. They went down to that cold pit where her body lay. And the boy breathed life into her, brought her back into the living world because he loved her enough to lay down his own life.  
  
"I always wondered what would become of that boy. Now I know. That boy became a man." Xander smiled a little at Angel's commentary.  
  
"I heard about that raid you did on the Anointed One's lair. I also heard about Spike getting away."  
  
"You know Spike, he's a slippery one."  
  
"You're right. I do know Spike. I also know that he won't stop until he's gotten revenge for Dru. He won't stop until it's over, one way or another. You have any idea how psychotic he would be right now?"  
  
Xander stood up and squared off in front of Angel.  
  
"Any idea? Yeah, you could say that." A cold, hard look appeared in Xander's eye.  
  
"But I don't care. No chip, no soul, no mercy. This time the story will have a dusty ending." 


	6. The Citadel of the House of Scooby

Title: The Citadel of the House of Scooby  
  
Authors: Mike and Tony McD  
  
Rating: mild R  
  
Category: season 7 AU/ early season 2 (kinda)  
  
Pairings: B/X, W/X, B/W, B/X/W  
  
Summary: Follows 'The United House of Scooby'. The Scoobies really need a citadel as Spike sends his assassins after our Scoobs.   
  
Distribution: Anywhere, just let us know.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and enjoyment.   
  
Authors' notes: This is a collaborative effort between Tony and me due to Tony's illness. Feedback is appreciated.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
Things have been pretty quiet since Parent Teacher Night. Mrs. Summers had a period of time where she didn't take everything too well. Which is understandable. It's like 'Hey! Vampires and demons and magic are all real and your only daughter is the chosen one to fight and die to stop them. Which has already happened once. Oh, and you know how your daughter has been pestering you to get a CAT scan lately? Well it turns out that she found out from her friend who's from the future that you'll get a brain tumor and die.'  
  
Hence the not taking things too well for a while.  
  
But true to form, she's learning to deal and has become a real pillar of strength for Buffy. It's great to see the two of them get closer. Without the whole hiding her secret Slayer identity from her mom, Buffy is a lot more relaxed around her.  
  
But Buffy is still holding back on telling her about her relationship with me and Willow. Unlike the Slayer identity thing I'm not pushing Buffy to tell her about it. Mrs. Summers may be a really cool mom, but she's still a mom, and thirty seconds after she finds out she'll take to my favorite Xander parts with a carving knife. Buffy has decided to eventually tell her.  
  
Sometime around April 2016.  
  
Which sounds good to my Xander parts.  
  
We've tried to drop subtle hints to Oz to avoid being bitten without trying to drag him into our mess. However, all we've managed to do so far is convince him we're a bunch of crazy people. We're debating if we should tell him everything and get him into the Scooby Gang.  
  
After Cordy's foot in mouth episode she's been pretty good. No, she hasn't undergone a complete personality transplant. It's just she's learnt her lesson about what things she shouldn't rag on if she likes her lungs to stay in place. I think she's still having trouble understanding and accepting our relationship though. We're gonna get that a lot with people when they find out, so we keep our private life private and knock back on the public displays of affection.  
  
Giles tries not to get too involved with our relationship and whenever it comes up he does the avoidy thing he does so well. Ms Calendar is fascinated by me, Buffy and Willow's relationship. She's been talking about some legendary triad of warriors for the forces of good but we think she's been sitting in front of her computer too long. We're not some legendary triad, we're just three friends who fell in love.  
  
Willow and Buffy are going great guns together. They've set themselves a pace for their relationship and they're happy with that. Me, well, every relationship that I rushed into blew up in my face, so I'm taking things slow.  
  
Which is apparently too slow for Buffy and Willow, but this relationship means so much to me and I don't wanna fuck it up. It isn't easy. God only knows how many times I've had the urge to drag Buffy and Willow into a secluded little spot and do all kinds of insane, sweaty things with them.  
  
And they're deliberately not making it any easier.  
  
You should have seen what they did the other day when Buffy was wearing that...  
  
Sorry, got off track there for a bit. Now where was I?  
  
Willow's hand and Buffy's mini skirt.  
  
DAMN IT!!!  
  
Back on track.  
  
Spike.  
  
Twice he's tried killing Buffy and twice he's only managed to escape by the skin of his minions. Or should that be dust?  
  
Anyway, he's nuts. Not in the 'Blue Wiggle I'm nuts in the basement because I've got a soul' kinda way. More like 'I've lost the love of my undead life and I'm gonna kill you for it' way.  
  
I'm trying to anticipate his next move, which isn't easy. This situation didn't happen before so we're flying nearly blind here. Going on form I think it's either that order of assassins he sent out first time or he's trying for The Judge.  
  
Assassins we can deal with. The Judge is another matter. It took a rocket launcher to take him out first time and we only got that because my Halloween soldier memories were still fresh. Now, thanks to Giles letting Ripper come out and have a little pre-emptive 'chat' with Ethan Rayne, Halloween was nice and quiet. Ethan was really good at helping us deal with that demon thing he and Giles had chasing them. That is to say he did what he was told under pain of Giles going Ripper on his ass. Deadboy is batting two for two in the 'My demon can kick your demon's ass' stakes.  
  
The Inca museum tour went OK. We stayed around making sure no one broke the seal or stuff like that. Unfortunately it also made us late picking up Ampata from the bus stop and he got eaten by a vamp. Giles said that sometimes people are destined to die no matter what we do to try to stop it. I was pretty depressed by the idea and Buffy didn't like it one bit either for reasons obvious.  
  
I've got some long-term projects going to help nip some of the big bads in the butt. Willow's helping with the Mayor and so is Giles. Giles is also handling Acathla along with Deadboy. All of us are helping handle the Nerds of Doom. Willow has started wicca training under the strictest supervision of Ms Calendar and Giles. Willow is scared half to death about taking up magic but she wants to contribute to our future ass kicking efforts.  
  
Spike aside, things are going generally OK.  
  
Except for my nightmares.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Do ya really have to go?" Xander whined playfully. He and Willow were up in the stacks having smoochies out of sight of Giles who was training with Buffy.  
  
"Yes, they're letting me do some of the senior year math classes finally and I need to make a good impression. Being late because I was too busy having smoochies with my boyfriend isn't the best way."  
  
"Spoil sport."  
  
"You could always come with me."  
  
"Mmmm. An hour of no Willow kissage AND extra hard math? Add Harmony talking to me about shoe shopping and I'll be ready to do a Kurt Cobane. I'll pass."  
  
"OK, but you don't know what you're missing."  
  
"Yeah I do. Willow kissing." Xander told her and kissed her. Willow gave him a radiant smile and left with a happy spring in her step. After years of not seeing it, Xander truly loved seeing that genuine Willow smile. It was the kind of smile that made everything better. With his own smile firmly in place Xander turned back towards the stacks.  
  
Only to run straight into the person standing right behind him.  
  
"Arghhh!" Xander yelled in shock, tripping over his feet and landing flat on his back on the floor. Giles and Buffy raced up to the stacks to see what was the matter. They stared at the new arrival. Still on his back, Xander did the introductions.  
  
"Buffy, Giles, meet Kendra the Vampire Slayer."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Uh-uh, Kendra, uh, there are a-a-a few people, uh, civilians if you like, who know Buffy's identity. Xander is one of them, a-a-and they also, um, spend time together, uh, socially."  
  
"And you allow dis, sir?"  
  
"Well, uh..."  
  
"But de Slayer must work in secret for security."  
  
"Of course, but, uh, with Buffy, however, it-it's, um, some flexibility is required."  
  
Buffy gave Giles a look.  
  
"Smooth one G-man." Giles ignored Xander's remark and asked Kendra why she was here.  
  
"Mr. Zabuto said all de signs indicate dat a very dark power is about to rise in Sunnydale."  
  
Xander raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Anyone else thinking Judge?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Oh yeah. Here comes the judge." Xander quipped.  
  
"Right, then I'll give your Watcher a call and see If I-I can get anymore, um, information on this, er, dark power." Giles told Kendra and went into his office. Xander looked over to Buffy.  
  
"We better do more research on the Judge, just in case. Buffy, you wanna hit the stacks with me. To, uh, help find, er, books, for researching."  
  
Buffy smiled, knowing exactly what he was getting at.  
  
"Sure, I'd love to. Excuse us for a minute." She told the other Slayer. As soon as they were out of sight in the stacks they found themselves in a passionate embrace.  
  
"Yummy, strawberry lip gloss." Buffy said licking her lips.  
  
"Willow."  
  
"Kissing Xander and Willow at the same time. Goodie!" and she started kissing Xander again. In the middle of their kiss Xander was grabbed from behind and ripped out of Buffy's embrace. A fist smashed into his face and sent him flying into a bookcase. For the second time that morning Xander found himself on the floor.  
  
"Kendra! What the hell was that for?!?!"  
  
"He's a cheating pig! I saw him kissing de redhead when I first got here."  
  
Buffy went to Xander's side and helped him up. She rounded on Kendra angrily.  
  
"Damn it! He's not a cheating pig! If you'd turned up five minutes before you did you would have seen ME kissing 'de redhead'." Kendra looked confused.  
  
"But de redhead is a girl."  
  
"Gee, you noticed that too, huh? Yes, she's a girl. She's my girlfriend. She's also his girlfriend, and he's my boyfriend."  
  
Kendra looked even more confused. Buffy rolled her eyes.  
  
"God! This is gonna be a long day."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Order of Taraka?"  
  
"Order of Taraka." Giles confirmed to his Slayer. She was holding a ring that she had taken from the huge one-eyed assassin that had attacked her while she patrolled the Parkfield Cemetery.  
  
"One down, two to go. Bug Guy and Gun Girl. I better give Xander and Willow a call and give them a heads up."  
  
"De assassins? I read of dem in de writings of Dramius."  
  
"Oh, really? Which volume?" asked Giles.  
  
"I believe it was six, sir."  
  
"Um, how do you know all this?" Buffy asked the younger Slayer.  
  
"From me studies."  
  
"So, obviously you have a lot of free time."  
  
"I study because it is required. The Slayer handbook insists on it." Kendra insisted.  
  
"Wait. Handbook? What handbook? How come I don't have a handbook?"  
  
"After meeting you, Buffy, I realized that, uh, the handbook would be of no use in your case."  
  
"Well, what do you mean it would be of no use in my case? Wha-what's wrong with my case?" Buffy asked incensed.  
  
"Uh, Kendra, um, perhaps you'd like to show me the, the part in, uh, Dramius Six where, uh, where it refers to the Order of Taraka. Really, I-I, I seem to have never been able to get through that book. It was a bit stodgy."  
  
Kendra smiled at the Watcher.  
  
"It was difficult. All dose footnotes." The younger Slayer and the Watcher laughed and headed for Giles' office. Buffy watched them go.  
  
"Volume six, ha, ha, ha." She mocked them. "Watcher's pet." She grumbled and went to the phone on the front counter to call Willow and Xander.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"You're dropping your shoulder, Xander."  
  
"No I'm not." Xander said as he launched another punch at Angel who effortlessly dodged the punch.  
  
"Yes you are."  
  
"Not happening." Xander said and threw a left jab at Angel's head. Angel caught his fist in his hand.  
  
"You want me to help you or not?" an annoyed Angel asked. A right hook crashed into Angel's jaw. Angel looked at Xander.  
  
"That's better." He told the young man who just smirked.  
  
The two squared off again.  
  
"Angel I... oh, Xander, what are you doing here?" Willow said from the doorway.  
  
"Guy stuff." Xander told her. "What's up?"  
  
"Oh, uh, Buffy called. She just got a visit from one of the Order of Taraka."  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"One eye guy."  
  
Xander let out a long breath and looked to Angel.  
  
"OK, been there and done that. You wanna try to dig up info from Willy while the three of us hunt down the other two?"  
  
"You sure you're up to this?" Angel asked him.  
  
"Bug Guy is easy. Annie Oakley is another matter. We're not bullet proof."  
  
"Then I should handle her."  
  
Xander thought for a second then nodded.  
  
"Where's Buffy?"  
  
"She's gone home. You wanna go over there?" Willow asked her boyfriend.  
  
"Sure. Let's go."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Buffy? You home?" Willow called out as she and Xander entered the Summers house.  
  
"We're in the kitchen honey." Mrs. Summers yelled.  
  
Xander and Willow walked into the kitchen to find Buffy and her Mom cleaning a gooey mess on the floor.  
  
"Buffy, did you try to make that pancake surprise thing again?" the redhead asked.  
  
"Unless you like the surprise in the pancake to be glue and squashed up Bug Man." Willow screwed up her nose in disgust.  
  
"Makes you appreciate vampires more, doesn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, a quick going over with a dust buster and you're done." Buffy said scooping up a mass of goo and dumping it into the trash.  
  
"Well, Angel's hunting down Gun Girl and he's also hitting up Willy for info on Spike's whereabouts. Maybe this Taraka thing could lead us to the son of a bitch."  
  
Mrs. Summers gave him a sharp look.  
  
"Excuse my French."  
  
"Actually in French it would be..." Buffy and Xander gave Willow a look. "Um, never mind."  
  
"Can't we do something? I mean like tell the police about her?" Joyce asked.  
  
"Mom, what would we tell the police? 'Excuse me but a vampire has sent an assassin disguised as a policewoman to kill my daughter because she dusted the love of his un-life?'"  
  
"Then what can we do?"  
  
"Hope Deadboy gets her first. Oh! And stay away from the windows. That's how Tara got it."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
The Bronze was packed, as was usually the case on a Friday night. Buffy and Xander were sitting at their table showing Kendra how normal teenagers spent their Friday night while Willow was over talking to Oz in a last ditch attempt to change his future history.  
  
"I tink we shouldn't be here. A good Slayer needs to patrol in de places where vampires feed."  
  
"And we are. All these clueless young people out at night, this is prime feeding ground for vamps. Pick out one from the herd and take them to a dark alleyway for a leisurely devouring. The Bronze is always a good stop for a patrol."  
  
"That's right. We find, she slays, we party. That's the Scooby way." Xander informed Kendra who still wasn't convinced.  
  
"Besides, it's important for a Slayer to keep her... GUN!!!" Buffy yelled grabbing the other two and pulling them down.  
  
For among the crowd, the final assassin drew her gun and opened fire. The Bronze erupted into screams as gunfire rang out and people ran for their lives. A tall dark figure raced against the tide of humanity towards the assassin. He reached her and with a savage twist, snapped her neck.  
  
"Angel!" Buffy yelled as the vampire dropped the now dead assassin.  
  
"Buffy! I tracked her down to here. Are you OK?" he asked.  
  
"I think so. I..." Buffy paled as she turned and saw Willow screaming, covered in blood. They raced over to her.  
  
"WILLOW!"  
  
"We were just standing here talking and then he just pushed me aside and there was shooting and blood..." the uninjured Willow broke down in Buffy's arms.  
  
There, on the floor, lay Oz. A single bullet had hit him in the heart. Xander knelt down beside his slain friend and took hold of his hand. Tears rolled down Xander's cheeks.  
  
"A true Scooby till the last." Xander said as sadness filled his heart. 


	7. Dark Places in the House of Scooby

Title: Dark Places in the House of Scooby  
  
Authors: Mike and Tony McD  
  
Rating: mild R  
  
Category: season 7 AU/ early season 2 (kinda)  
  
Pairings: B/X, W/X, B/W, B/X/W  
  
Summary: Follows 'The Citadel of the House of Scooby'. Whoever fights with monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.  
  
Distribution: Anywhere, just let us know.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and enjoyment.   
  
Authors' notes: This is a collaborative effort between Tony and me due to Tony's illness. Feedback is appreciated.  
  
Mike's notes: This takes place a month or two after 'Citadel' and the morning after 'Hot Nights in the House of Scooby: Slayer/Hacker'. You don't need to have read 'Slayer/Hacker' before this, but you may need the warm fuzzy feelings, 'cause there aren't many here. If you want a copy of Slayer/Hacker then email me at o163210@iprimus.com.au and I'll send you one (remember kiddies that it's NC-17 Buffy and Willow having fluffy poon-tang. You don't like it then don't ask for it.)  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
Buffy awoke just after dawn. Slowly she took in her surrounds. The first thing she noticed was she wasn't in her own room. The second was that she was naked. The third was the fact she wasn't alone in her nudity.  
  
Willow lay on her back; her hair spilling out over the sheets, her mouth open and a gentle snore emanating from her cute mouth. Buffy remembered last night. She remembered how she saw the strength and fiery passion that lay beneath the beautiful and gentle exterior.  
  
Buffy watched contentedly the rise and fall of Willow's chest as she slept and the gentle bump-bump of her heart beat. She felt the warmth of Willow's body and drank in the unique scent that was Willow. In a world filled with cold hard death, here, in its most pure form, lay warm soft life.  
  
A strand of hair was caught in the corner of Willow's mouth and Buffy gently brushed the hair out of her mouth causing Willow to wake with a start.  
  
"Huh? Wha?"  
  
"Morning sleepy head."  
  
"Buffy." Willow said as she stretched with cat like grace. "Morning."  
  
"It's a very good morning." Buffy said as she watched the sheets slide down Willow's body as she stretched revealing more of her feminine curves. Willow covered herself up and smiled at the Slayer.  
  
"Behave you. It's too early for me to deal with a horn dog Slayer."  
  
"Me? Horn dog? Pot, this is kettle, radio check, over!" Buffy said with mock indignation.  
  
"Yes, you, horn dog. You're lucky my parents aren't here. They would have come busting in last night thinking you were being ax murdered."  
  
"You're giving me a lecture on being a little noisy during sex Willow Rosenburg A.K.A Fiona De Moaner."  
  
"Hey! You'd be a moaner too if you had someone doing seriously sexy things to you with their tongue."  
  
"I was and I did." The two girls laughed and snuggled up together for a few minutes.  
  
"So, no morning after weirdness?" Buffy asked.  
  
"No, all happy and comfy." Willow said as she ran her finger in lazy circles around Buffy's belly button. Buffy kissed the top of Willow's head and traced the outline of her ear.  
  
"It's funny, isn't it?"  
  
"What's that Buff?"  
  
"Us, this, everything. None of it would have happened if it weren't for Xander coming back and changing it all. Without him we would have kept going down the road to our destruction."  
  
"Yeah, I guess he did bring us back from the brink."  
  
"That's the second time he's brought me back from the dead."  
  
"What are ya getting at here Buffy? You wanna get down on your knees in front of the Lord and thank him for Xander?"  
  
"No, I wanna get down on my knees in front of Xander and thank him myself."  
  
"BUFFY!! Damn! I was right! You ARE a complete horn dog!" Willow laughed and poked the Slayer in the ribs.  
  
"Hey!" replied Buffy and whacked Willow with a pillow. Willow put her resolve face on.  
  
"OK birthday girl, you asked for it!" and launched into vigorously tickling Buffy. A tickle fight ensued, filling the room with the happy sounds of playful laughter.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
It was them, but it wasn't. The sadness and loss he had felt before was overwhelmed by sheer terror. They had turned their back on him before, but now they gave him their undivided attention. He was their play thing; their puppy to kick and torment.  
  
He remembered how in the past their touch brought comfort and solace. But now it only brought pain and suffering. His left arm dangled uselessly by his side, broken bone visible through his skin in several places. His lungs struggled to function as pain from his shattered ribs sent convulsions through his body that was a mass of cuts and bruises.  
  
She backed off; her feral smile framed incongruently by her beautiful blonde hair. His field of vision was filled with a face so familiar from nearly 18 years of looking at it that he close his eyes could describe its every detail. But it was a mask that was worn by a stranger. An imperfect mask with its pale, veiny skin and black hair to match her black eyes.  
  
All thoughts were washed away by the sound and the smell of his own flesh burning.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
Xander awoke with a gasp, his heart racing and his body coated in a sheen of sweat. It took him a moment to come down from his nightmare. He'd being having them more regularly of late. He absently rubbed his left arm and remembered the pain.  
  
The most frightening thing was the fact that the nightmares were in fact memories.  
  
The doorbell rang and Xander pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants and went to the door.  
  
"Johnathan? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I thought we were going out to see that Star Wars marathon. If you've changed your mind then..."  
  
"No, no. Sorry, I'm still half asleep. Come on in." Xander waved him in.  
  
As part of their efforts to change what happened the gang had made an effort to befriend Johnathan, reasoning that if he had some friends then the Nerds of Doom would be down one. Much to their surprise, once they got to know him, he was a pretty nice guy. Xander and Willow especially bonded with him, recognizing that he was very similar to them and they shared a lot of interests in common.  
  
Xander saw that, but for the grace of meeting each other, he and Willow would have turned out exactly like Johnathan, except in Xander's case, without the brains. His contact with the Scoobies had given Johnathan a measure of confidence and self respect that he lacked before.  
  
He wasn't an active member of the Scooby Gang by any means. One patrol had been enough for him to realize he wasn't cut out in the combat department. But he did help on occasions to research with Giles, Willow, and Ms Calendar and between the four of them they had formed a pretty powerful research team.  
  
"Give us 15 minutes to have a shower and get ready, OK?"  
  
"Sure." Johnathan said sitting himself down and turning the TV on.  
  
"Don't turn it up too loud or you'll wake my parents." Xander warned. As usual they were still in bed sleeping off whatever they had drank the night before. They wouldn't take too kindly to being woken this morning.  
  
When Xander returned 15 minutes later he found Johnathan watching the local news channel. The screen showed Mayor Wilkins handcuffed and being shoved into a car by men in windbreakers with FBI emblazoned on the back.  
  
"What's happening?" Xander asked. He already had a good idea of what was going on.  
  
"The FBI has arrested the Mayor for tax evasion, corruption, and his role in the kidnapping and murder of several of his political opponents." Johnathan saw the smile on Xander's face.  
  
"You had something to do with that, didn't you?"  
  
"I can't claim all the credit. Willow did some hacking and dug up enough evidence for us to get the feds interested. We anonymously dangled the tax evasion thing in front of the IRS and the kidnapping in front of the FBI and they took the bait. The Mayor may be a big shot here in Sunnydale but he's a rat next to the 800-pound gorilla that is the Uncle Sam."  
  
"So what did he do? In your timeline that is?"  
  
"Turned into a giant snake during graduation and ate Snyder."  
  
Johnathan looked at Xander incredibly.  
  
"You want him locked away to prevent THAT?"  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Hi Mrs. Summers, is Buffy home yet?"  
  
"No, she and Willow are still out shopping."  
  
"Good. Could you hold the door open while I bring in Buffy's birthday gift?" Xander asked.  
  
"Sure." Joyce said and watched as Xander brought in a large object covered in a blanket.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
The party was going well. It was a low-key event with only Buffy, her mom, Willow, Xander, Giles, Jenny, and Johnothan there. Buffy had a huge smile on her face as she received her presents. Johnothan gave her a relaxation CD with sounds of the rainforest. Her mom gave her a beautiful pendant; Giles and Jenny gave her an antique jewelry box; Willow gave her basket full of scented soaps and oils.  
  
"So, you think Buffy stinks, do ya Wills?" Xander smirked. Willow whacked him on the arm and gave him a dirty look. Xander laughed and rubbed his arm where she had hit him.  
  
"What did you buy her?" Willow wanted to know.  
  
"I didn't buy it. I made it." Xander told her and uncovered his present.  
  
It was a beautiful wooden weapons chest. It was covered in intricate carvings of scenes of Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles in various situations. Battle scenes such as the Sisterhood of Jhe with Xander facing down Jack O'Toole in the basement while his friends battle the Hellmouth above; Graduation with the student army while Buffy faces the huge form of the Mayor/demon; combo Buffy fighting ADAM; and the Scoobies fighting Glory were carved on the sides.  
  
But most prominent as what was carved on the lid. In each corner was the carved face of Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles. In the center was carved a scene of the four of them sitting around the library table researching. The warm smiles and obvious closeness between the four spoke volumes of the bond they shared.  
  
It wasn't just a work of art; it was a labor of love.  
  
Buffy looked at Xander with huge tears in her eyes. Xander and Willow gave Buffy a group hug as she shed tears of happiness. The two female Scoobies felt Xander's whole body stiffen and Buffy heard his heart race. They looked up at him with concern.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Xander had a look of fear on his face as he stared out into space.  
  
"Xander! What's the matter?" Buffy asked insistently.  
  
Xander's head snapped down and he looked first at Buffy then Willow with terror in his eyes.  
  
"I... I... gotta go." He said and hurried out the front door.  
  
"Xander!" Willow and Buffy started after him but Giles stopped them.  
  
"Damn it Giles! Something's wrong and I wanna know what it is!"  
  
"Buffy, I think I know what's wrong. But I need to talk to Xander first, OK? You need to give me some time. If you want to help him, then let me do it."  
  
An unhappy Buffy and Willow reluctantly agreed.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
"So the nightmares are more frequent?" Giles asked Xander as the two men sat on Giles' sofa. Xander had told Giles of the nightmares and had shown him the scars on his body from his final battle with Buffy and Willow just before they became the First Evil.  
  
"Yeah. But they're not nightmares, more like vivid memories. One moment I'm hugging Buff and Wills, next thing it's like I'm back there being tortured by their evil versions. I don't know what's happening to me."  
  
Giles sat back and contemplated the situation for a few moments.  
  
"I believe what you had is called a flashback. This, plus the nightmares, and everything else you've told me seem to point to a case of post traumatic stress disorder."  
  
"The what now?"  
  
"Post traumatic stress disorder. It's a reaction to traumatic events such as your torture or prolonged exposure to stressful events."  
  
"Like Slaying for 8 years straight?"  
  
"Well, yes. But I've never heard of a Slayer ever suffering from PTSD."  
  
"Maybe that's because the average Slayer has a life span of a fruit fly."  
  
"I wouldn't go so far as to say..."  
  
"Giles, reality check here. In my timeline Kendra lasted, what, six or eight months? How often does a Slayer make it to 18? Or 21?"  
  
"Um, well, not very often."  
  
"That's right. Between the vamps and the Watchers Council your average Slayer doesn't stand a chance. But Buffy isn't your average Slayer, is she? She doesn't fight alone; she isn't cut off from the world. She's got you, and me, and Willow, and her mom, and Angel, and Kendra, and everything else. Buffy made it to 23, but even she fell too. The stress of it all got her. She cut herself off from us, the world, everything. She succumbed to the darkness."  
  
"Xander, that's all very well and good, but we're talking about you, not Buffy."  
  
"I know we are, but think about it. Who among our original little groups was the least likely to get stressed?"  
  
Giles conceded the point. The longer they fought the more likely they would suffer from PTSD and sitting right in front of him was living proof that it would take a heavy toll on them all. If they wished to survive for anything approaching a reasonable period of time then management of PTSD was important. But right now he needed to help Xander.  
  
"I know someone who can help you with this."  
  
"I don't want anything to do with anyone from the Council."  
  
"No, they're not a part of the Watchers Council, they work at the university here. They're aware of the, er, reality, of Sunnydale. I'll give her a call and she can get in touch with you."  
  
Xander nodded his assent to the proposal. He knew deep down that he needed help. He needed to remove this block between the girls and himself if he wanted a healthy relationship with them. But there were a couple of other things he needed done as well.  
  
"Alright. I'll do it. But I also want her to come up with ways to help to stop this from happening in you guys as well."  
  
"I'm sure she can. But you will need to talk to Buffy and Willow about what happened today."  
  
"I really screwed up Buffy's birthday, didn't I?"  
  
"Xander, it isn't your fault. But you do need to talk to them. They love you and they're concerned about you, which is only natural. You need to tell them everything."  
  
Xander exhaled loudly. Part of him didn't want to do it. The fragments of his shattered male pride coupled with his overwhelming desire not to hurt Buffy and Willow made him somewhat unwilling to talk to them about it. But most of him knew Giles was right.  
  
"I will, but I need you to talk to them first. Tell them about this disorder thing; you can explain it way better than me."  
  
"I'll talk to them tonight."  
  
Xander looked at the man more his father that his biological one with deep gratitude in his eyes.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
There were a few moments of silence as Giles sipped at his tea.  
  
"I also need another favor Giles."  
  
"What favor would that be?"  
  
"I need you to help me access my memories."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"Look, Spike is still out there and there's still the potential matter of him reassembling the Judge. I need to access my soldier memories so we can get the rocket launcher to blast that big blue bastard to bits. Remember, no weapon forged? Mr. Anti Tank Missile is made, not forged. You can do that hypnosis thing and help me remember. And while we're at it you can dig around and help me remember other stuff as well. People will die if I can't remember important stuff. People have already died." Xander said impassionedly, thinking of Oz. Giles knew Xander was referring to Oz being killed.  
  
"You are aware that you're changing things, making them different. The more time passes the fewer things will happen exactly as you remember them. There will come the time that you will have no more knowledge of the future than the rest of us."  
  
"I know that OK? I watch Star Trek, I know about time travel stuff. But right now my memories are still on the money and we need to access them or we're screwed."  
  
With some reluctance Giles agreed to Xander's request.  
  
"Give me a few days to get things organized.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
They had gone around to Xander's place later that night after Giles had told them what had happened with Xander. The three of them had spoken until the wee small hours about Xander and his experiences and feelings.  
  
As the dawn's early light filtered through the curtains of Xander's bedroom, Buffy found herself deep in thought. The three of them lay snuggled together in a chaste embrace on Xander's bed. Willow was snuggled on one side of Xander and Buffy on the other. She marveled at their oneness, marveled at the fact that even as they slept they breathed together.  
  
The talk had exposed a side of Xander that they had never guessed existed. A deeply wounded man, someone who had undergone the worst hells at the very hands of the two people he loved most. He had a huge heart, but it was a heart covered in scars.  
  
However, no matter how badly he had been hurt, no matter what their counterparts did to him, he loved both of them unconditionally.  
  
Buffy wondered how could he do it. How could he spend day after day with the very same people who brutally tortured and maimed him for fun, let alone love them? She felt revolted at the very idea that she and Willow were capable of anything like what Xander described. It was like he was describing the actions of another person, someone with their bodies and memories and certain personality traits but nothing else.  
  
Maybe that was it. She remembered when the hyena had possessed Xander and how much it had hurt Willow. But here Willow was, snuggled up to him both deeply asleep and deeply in love with him. She knows that it wasn't Xander, not the real Xander at any rate. Xander must have done the same thing.  
  
The last thing that went through Buffy's mind before sleep claimed her was to wonder when Angel would be back from destroying the Box of Gavrock.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Damn it! Buy America my ass!" Cordelia spat as she entered the library. She had just finished cheerleading practice and was still in her uniform. "Why couldn't Daddy buy me a snappy European sports car instead of the broken down hunk of Detroit rust currently sitting in the car park?"  
  
"Cordy, ever thought that the reason it broke down is because you never check the oil or the water or anything else before you drive?" an amused Xander asked the cheerleader.  
  
"What do ya think I am? Some two bit grease monkey?"  
  
Xander opened his mouth but an elbow to the ribs from Willow who was sitting beside him cut off his smart-ass reply.  
  
"Giles! I need to call the AAA. Can I use the phone on the counter?" Cordy yelled even as she picked up the phone and started dialing. Giles merely rolled his eyes and went back into his office. Cordelia lent against the counter as she waited on hold for an AAA operator to take the call.  
  
As she did so it offered a rather nice view of her long legs and great ass. Both Xander and Willow tilted their heads to the side to get a better view. Their moment of appreciation was interrupted by the sound of Buffy clearing her throat. The two jumped a little in surprise and wheeled about to see Buffy with two piles of books.  
  
"If you're both finished drooling there's some books here that need stacking away." She told them and shoved the piles of books into their arms. They scurried up into the stacks like a couple of scalded cats. When the two had disappeared into the stacks, Buffy tilted her head to the side for a few moments to appreciate the view before sighing and heading for the stacks herself.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
It was a beautiful night out he thought to himself as he walked down the street. Lights shone from houses filled with people completely unawares to the danger that lurked in their quiet little town. Taking a long drag on his cigarette he stopped in front of one such house. Flicking the cigarette into the garden, he walked up to the door and knocked.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
Later that night, the three Scoobies returned from patrol in high spirits. It had been a busy night with almost a dozen vamps dusted. In one instance they faced six vamps at once, but the appearance of Angel recently returned from destroying the Box of Gavrock saw the battle end quickly.  
  
Giles and Jenny were waiting for them with a large circle dotted with candles around its circumference.  
  
"Er, did we just interrupt some romantic candle lit moment, 'cause if we did..."  
  
"For once would it be too much to ask for a little maturity on your behalf?" An irritated Watcher asked his Slayer. Buffy fell silent at the rebuke.  
  
"This has nothing to do with romance."  
  
"Pity." Jenny Calendar mumbled to herself.  
  
"This is to help Xander access his memories, specifically those to help us defeat the Judge. Xander, could you please sit in the center of the circle so we can get started?"  
  
Giles started organizing Xander and completing the set up while Buffy and Willow sat beside Jenny.  
  
"So Giles is putting the mystical whammy on Xander to help grab some memories? Is that wise?" Buffy asked the techno-pagan.  
  
"Xander insisted. He's old enough to make his own decisions and besides, Rupert knows what he's doing."  
  
"Is that wolvesbane?" Willow asked, fascinated at the ritual unfolding before her.  
  
"No, mandrake. It's used in spells to do with the mind. Wolvesbane is used more in spells that involve transformations and demon rituals."  
  
In the center of the room Xander stared into a large yellow crystal he held as Giles built up to the climax of the ritual.  
  
"Gavista unmen desut aru devicta!"  
  
The normally brown eyes of Xander briefly glowed green-orange then returned to normal. He looked around at his friends then out towards the library doors. From deep within him came a sound that chilled the blood of all present.  
  
The feral sound of the Hyena.  
  
With a roar, he leapt up and raced out of the library with breathtaking speed. Buffy tried to catch him but he was too fast and had disappeared into the night.  
  
When Buffy had returned to the library she had to comfort a very scared Willow. The red head had suffered badly the first time the hyena took control of Xander; the prospect of another had her shaken.  
  
"What the hell just happened Giles? You start digging around in Xander's mind and all of a sudden our boyfriend starts feeling the call of the wild. I thought we got rid of the hyena spirit."  
  
"I-I... don't know. Maybe it's possible th-that the hyena spirit left an-an imprint on-on his subconscious that we tapped into with the spell." The Watcher speculated   
  
"It doesn't matter what the hell happened we need to find a way to reverse it and catch Xander. I think I know how to reverse it, but we need to catch Xander before something happens." Jenny Calendar interjected.  
  
"How are we going to that? He took off out of here like the roadrunner and from memory hyena Xander is pretty damn strong. If we find him we'll need as much muscle as we can get. I'll get Angel."  
  
"Buffy, wait! Xander's a hyena, right? All we need to do to find him is think like a hyena." Everyone nodded in agreement to Willow's idea. She shoved aside her fear and focused on getting the man she loved back.  
  
"Hyena's are pack animals. But Kyle and the others that were in his original pack left Sunnydale after their possession. So he hasn't got a pack to go to."  
  
"Yes he does." Jenny interrupted Willow. They looked at her in confusion.  
  
"You and Buffy are his pack."  
  
"Then why isn't he here? Why did he take off like that?" Buffy asked. Realization dawned on Giles' face.  
  
"He's after the threat to the pack."  
  
"What threat?" Buffy asked then the answer hit her too.  
  
"Spike. Spike's a threat to his pack and he's gone after him. Oh shit! We gotta catch him before he gets hurt!" Buffy said with rising panic. Giles saw this and took charge.  
  
"Willow, go get Angel. Jenny, work on a way to return Xander to normal. I'll find a locator spell we can use on Xander."  
  
"What about me?" Buffy asked her Watcher.  
  
"I need you here. As soon as we locate Xander I'll need you to handle him."  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Turn left here." Buffy instructed Giles. She had a map of Sunnydale and the bright point of light showed Xander's location. As they rounded the corner Buffy realized that they were headed for Xander's house.  
  
"Stop!" she yelled and Giles slammed on the breaks in front of Xander's home. Buffy jumped out of the car and raced towards the open front door. She stopped short just inside the doorway.  
  
Giles caught up with his Slayer and saw what had stopped her short.  
  
In the lounge room lay the bodies of Anthony and Jessica Harris. Both of them bore the distinctive bite mark that was so familiar to both Slayer and Watcher. Crouched over them was Xander who forlornly sniffed at the bodies. The expression on Xander's face broke their hearts.  
  
Xander looked down at the bodies of his parents and his expression changed to a mask of insane fury. Sniffing at the air Xander leapt up and raced out the front door knocking Buffy and Giles to the floor doing so.  
  
As Giles struggled to his feet Buffy was already up and out the door after Xander.  
  
The Englishman took one last look at the two bodies before going back to his car and returning to the library.  
  
Buffy raced down the street and around the corner in pursuit of Xander. Suddenly a baseball bat appeared in her field of vision and her world went black.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Wakey, wakey." Spike sing songed as she roughly shook the unconscious Slayer who saw tied up like a starfish between two metal beams.  
  
Buffy came to and looked at her surroundings.  
  
"You brought me to the same place where I dusted your ho, how poetic." Buffy said defiantly. Spike punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her.  
  
"Poetic? I'm just getting started." Spike told her as he circled her. Buffy strained at her restrains.  
  
"No point trying to get loose Slayer. I own you."  
  
"Sorry, I already belong to a couple of others."  
  
"Ah, yes. The red head and the boy. You know that girl's parents should be reported. They're never home when friends call round. But your boy's were. Drunken pathetic pair they were, I was in a mind to let 'em live and let him suffer. But I got hungry."  
  
"Fuck you Spike!"  
  
"I'm shocked, do you kiss your mother with that potty mouth? Speaking of which, I was on my way to visit your own sweet mother when we ran into each other."  
  
"You touch her and I'll..."  
  
"You'll what Slayer? Stake me? Cut my head off? You ain't in a position to do sod all bitch." Spike sat down on a crate in front of her.  
  
"I've killed two Slayers. Had me a world of fun doing it. They say Slayer blood is a powerful aphrodisiac and they're right." He got up and walked over to her.  
  
"I wonder if fucking a Slayer is just as good." He leered as he roughly fondled Buffy's breasts. Buffy spat in the blondes face. Spike laughed.  
  
"Ooohhh, kitty likes to play, hmm? You got some spunk in you little girl. I'll tell you how this is gonna happen. First I'm gonna have me some fun with you. Then I'm bring mommy dearest around and finding out if shagging is passed down from mother to daughter."  
  
"I'll fucking kill you, Spike."  
  
"You fucking watch me as I stick it in her. Then I'm gonna make you mine. Forever. And when you wake up, I'm gonna watch you drain her dry." Spike laughed again as the color drained from her face in horror.  
  
From somewhere behind him there was the sound of movement.  
  
"Company already? You know it's rude to interrupt people." Spike called out to the darkness. Out of the shadows a figure appeared.  
  
Xander.  
  
"GET OUT OF HERE XANDER!!!" Buffy screamed.  
  
"Please stay, I like putting on a show for unfortunate people such as yourself. You know, the poor, the sick, orphans." Xander started circling the blonde vamp.  
  
"Little boy wants to dance, does he? I was just about to make a woman out of your girlfriend here but..." An animalistic roar of fury cut off Spike as Xander hurled himself at the vampire.  
  
The two went crashing to the ground and Xander tore into Spike's chest and face with unrestrained power and vengeance. Spike was stunned at the strength and violence of the attack from the boy. Kicking out desperately, Spike managed to get Xander off him for a moment.  
  
"What the bloody hell?" Spike asked aloud but got no further as Xander once again resumed his attack. Fists rained blow after blow, cracking and breaking bones. Fingers and teeth tore great chunks of flesh from the vamp. The hyena in Xander knew nether of pain or mercy. It only knew kill.  
  
"BUFFY!" Willow yelled as she, Giles and Angel raced in to free her. Angel pulled Xander off the broken and bleeding vamp but he broke free and resumed his attack on the blonde. It took the combined strength of Buffy, Giles, and Angel to finally pull the possessed Xander off Spike who dragged himself quickly into the night and disappeared.  
  
Xander struggled in vain to break free and chase him down. Willow knelt in front of her possessed boyfriend and held up a white crystal.  
  
"Shavo reenus acti romor jhe! Shavo reenus acti romor jhe!" Willow chanted and Xander's eyes flashed green-orange then returned to normal. The crystal Willow held now pulsed the same green-orange as she raised it up and threw it down on the cement smashing the crystal into a thousand pieces.  
  
An exhausted and bewildered Xander looked about in confusion for a while. Then is big chocolate eyes filled with tears.  
  
Buffy and Willow held him close as he broke down and began crying.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
Three months later.  
  
It was an emaciated Spike who lay amidst the filth of the sewer. Unable to hunt because of his massive injuries, he fed on the occasional rat that managed to crawl its way to within grabbing distance. It wasn't enough to help him heal and it was only a matter of time before someone or something finished him off.  
  
"Poor little Spike. You're not looking the best are you?" A familiar voice teased.  
  
"Get it over with Slayer, and be on your way." Spike rasped.  
  
"Awww, you've got it all wrong lover boy." Buffy told him as she caressed his sunken cheeks. "We're not here to hurt you."  
  
A veiny skinned, black haired Willow squatted down in front of him.  
  
"We're here to help you." 


	8. Shadow Plays for the House of Scooby par...

Title: Shadow Plays for the House of Scooby (part 1)  
  
Authors: Mike and Tony McD  
  
Rating: mild R  
  
Category: season 7 AU/ early season 2 (kinda)  
  
Pairings: B/X, W/X, B/W, B/X/W  
  
Summary: Follows 'Dark Places in the House of Scooby'. The Scoobies are embarking on their new life together but Xander's darkest nightmares have returned. Now the Scoobies must fight the shadows of futures past.  
  
Distribution: Anywhere, just let us know.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and enjoyment.   
  
Authors' notes: This is a collaborative effort between Tony and me due to Tony's illness. Feedback is appreciated.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
Passion.   
  
It lies in all of us - sleeping, waiting, and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir - open it's jaws and howl.  
  
Passion is the source of our finest moments - the joy of love, the clarity of hatred, and the ecstasy of grief.  
  
It speaks to us, guides us, passion rules us all, and we obey. What other choice do we have? It hurts sometimes more than we can bear.  
  
If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would all be hollow, - empty rooms, shuddered and dark.  
  
Without Passion we'd be truly dead.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
The Diary of Willow Rosenburg  
  
A lot has happened since the last time I had a chance write. I've been to a few funerals in my life (one of the side effects of living on the Hellmouth) but Xander's parents was the toughest. Toughest not because of any love for them (as parents went they sucked) but because of its impact on Xander.  
  
Xander now owns the house and with his dad's insurance payout he's not in any danger of having to live on the streets. His uncle Rory was made his guardian but he doesn't need it really. Other than the odd visit Rory doesn't bother Xander much and Xander lives in the house by himself.  
  
As you could probably imagine Xander seriously wants Spike dusty. We all do because you attack one Scooby you deal with all Scoobies. What Spike was going to do to Buffy and her mom, what Spike did do to Xander's parents, he's going to suffer for it if we ever find him.  
  
The three of us are spending a lot of time together lately. Buffy's mom is always inviting Xander around for dinner and to stay over and frequently he drags me along too. Mrs. Summers has kinda adopted Xander and in return Xander has been doing handyman work around the house. When we're not at Buffy's, we're at my place, or in the library, or on patrol. Recently we're spending more and more time at Xander's place as it gives us the privacy we need since we've gotten to know each other.  
  
Biblically.  
  
I remember a quote somewhere that said 'there is nothing so carnal as a recent ex-virgin'. Boy, were they not wrong! We've had a lot of, what Xander calls 'hot nights in the House of Scooby' at his place. And at mine. And Buffy's. And at school, on patrol, at the mall, on the beach, in caves, Xander's car... you get the idea.  
  
After the funeral I tried to tell mom and dad about vampires and Sunnydale and the rest. I didn't want what happened to Xander's parents happening to mine. Mom just dismissed it as a normal psychological response to the murder of Xander's parents and the natural fear of loosing them that results from such a traumatic experience. Psycho-babble bullshit.  
  
I wonder what she'd have to say if she found out that I'm in a polygamous bisexual relationship with a supernatural being and a man from the future?  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"And then Todd, that slimy weasel, has the nerve to ask me out to the post match party! Can you believe it? It's enough to make a girl go right off dating high school boys all together."  
  
It was a rather pained Buffy that listened to Cordelia's rambling about her latest dating disaster as the two walked down the halls of the high school. Willow and Xander had disappeared at the start of lunch and Buffy found herself stuck with Cordy.  
  
As they passed a janitors closet Cordy stopped.  
  
"Did you hear that?" she asked. A faint moan came from the closet.  
  
"Sounds like someone's in pain." the cheerleader opinioned. Buffy listened for a second then a huge smile came over her face.  
  
"Sounds like someone's in fun." She smirked. Cordelia screwed up her face in disgust.  
  
"Eewww! In a janitors closet? Please! You'd never catch me making out in a janitors closet." She told the Slayer and turned on her heel and left for less disturbing parts.  
  
Buffy looked up and down the hall checking to see if the coast was clear. She knocked on the closet door.  
  
"Guys! It's Buffy. Guys?" The door unlocked and opened a fraction. Two hands grabbed Buffy who let out a little squeal as they dragged her into the closet and locked the door again.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
It had been yet another long night for Giles as he approached his home. Things had been quiet for a while after Spike had disappeared but lately the local demon and vampire population had become agitated.  
  
Something dark and powerful was rising in Sunnydale.  
  
Sam Zaboto had called tonight informing his fellow watcher that he was sending Kendra to Sunnydale to help fight whatever was coming. Unfortunately they had no clue as to what this dark power was.  
  
He fished around in his pocket for his house keys and went to unlock the door. He stopped short at the sight of a single red rose on the door. From inside he could hear the sound of his favorite opera "La Boheme". He inhaled the scent of rose and smiled.  
  
He opened his door and went in.  
  
"Hello? Jenny? It's me!"  
  
Giles took off his coat and hung it up on the coat rack. He looked around and saw a chilled bottle of champagne and two long-stemmed glasses on his desk. On top of the crystal ice bucket is a folded piece of paper leaning against the bottle. He set down his keys and the rose and took the note. He unfolded it. On it was one word:  
  
Upstairs.   
  
He smiled and looked up towards the loft. He removed his glasses and set them and the paper down. Running his fingers through his hair, Giles picked the bottle and the two glasses and started up the stairs, which had a rose on each step. He reached the top of the stairs and his smile froze.  
  
The bottle and glasses fell from his fingers and shattered on the floor.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
"When do we get to dance with them, luv?"  
  
Buffy captured Spike's lips in her own and kissed him roughly.  
  
"Soon."  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Did you guys see how happy and cheerful Giles was this morning?" Buffy asked as she, Willow and Xander walked to class the next morning.  
  
"He did seem a little unusually chipper. He didn't even tell Xander to get his feet off the table when he came into the library this morning." Willow added.  
  
"Add the fact that Miss Calendar had this dreamy look on her face all through computer class this morning and you find yourself at a scary visual place."  
  
Buffy got a disturbed look on her face.  
  
"I could have lived a very long time without that information thank you very much." Buffy deadpanned.  
  
"I think it's kinda cute." Buffy and Xander glared at Willow.  
  
"This wouldn't have to do with that little crush you have on the G man would it Wills?"  
  
Buffy's horror deepened.  
  
Willow started to splutter.  
  
"What... you... how?"  
  
"I am future guy, remember? I know all kinds of stuff."  
  
"Oh that's it Mister Alexander LaVelle Harris! I'm telling Buffy about the Aqua-man underroos incident."  
  
It was Xander's turn to splutter.  
  
"But... Wills... you promised... Wills? Willow!" Xander whined like a little kid as the two girls headed off together. He only hoped that Cordy wouldn't overhear.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
"What movies can we look forward to?" Willow asked Xander as the two of them plus Buffy and Jonathan sat down to lunch together.  
  
"Well, Wills enjoyed the Harry Potter movies, which figures because of all the magic spells and stuff. I really enjoyed the new Star Wars trilogy..." Xander was interrupted by Jonathan who clamped his hands over his ears.  
  
"La-la-la-I'm not listening-la-la-la" he chanted as he left the table. Willow watched his retreating figure disappear through the cafeteria doors.  
  
"He really doesn't want to be spoiled for those movies, does he?" she asked.  
  
"Anyway" Xander continued, "Buffy and Dawn loved 'The Lord of the Rings' series. Buffy for the cool fight and battle scenes and Dawnie loved all the hot looking guys in it."  
  
"Unlike this table which has nil stock in the hot guy department." The familiar voice of Cordelia chimed in.  
  
"Everyone give a warm round of applause to the future star of the hit movie 'Illegally Blonde'. Come on put your hands together!" Xander clapped and cheered mockingly to the smirks of Buffy and Willow. Watching Cordelia and Xander verbally sparing was good fun for them as they watched the two slash each other with their razor sharp wit.  
  
"Thank you. Thank you. I'd like to thank the Academy, my mom and dad, and a special thanks to Xander Harris who couldn't even get a part in a PeeWee Herman home porn movie."  
  
"Unlike Cordy who co stared in that particular production." The two glared at each other as Willow killed herself laughing.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt you Cordelia, but is there a reason you're here or are you just getting in your daily verbal foreplay with our boyfriend?"  
  
"Eeewww! I'm just passing on a message from Giles. Scooby Gang meeting at Buffy's place tonight."  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
"So, let me get this straight. There's some big dark evil on the rise and we don't know jack about it? But it's big enough and evil enough for Kendra to be sent 6000 miles to help us fight it." Buffy asked her Watcher. Buffy, Willow, and Xander sat on one couch while Giles, Jenny, and Joyce sat on the other.  
  
"So when does Kendra arrive?" asked Joyce. Giles was a little flummoxed at the question.  
  
"Well, er, I, um, didn't find out." Giles found himself awash in a sea of unimpressed looks.  
  
"Smooth going G man."  
  
"I'll thank you to stop calling me that, Xander."  
  
"OK, so we don't know much. What do we know?" Jenny inquired.  
  
"It's not the Judge, Angel managed to find a couple of bits of him. It's not Angel, because he's on a ship somewhere dumping Judge parts as we speak. Could it be Athicla?" wondered Buffy.  
  
"No, we dug him up and destroyed him, remember?" Giles reminded his Slayer.  
  
"And it's not the Mayor 'cause he's facing 25 to life in the iron bar hotel. Maybe it's Glory or the Initiative." Shrugged Willow.  
  
"No sign of either. We've been kicking a lot of evil butt lately; maybe we've pissed off the First Evil enough to make it get of its incorporeal ass and take us on directly. You're the expert here Xander. Could it be the First?" the Slayer asked her White Knight.  
  
"Possibly. But I doubt it. The First only really got to play after we brought you back the second time. Add the fact that we haven't seen or heard of any Bringers in town makes me doubt it. We'll keep it in mind but I'd say it's something we or I haven't come across yet."  
  
The earth started shaking and rumbling at this point. Plates in the kitchen danced off the edges of the table and smashed onto the floor. A startled Scooby Gang gripped their seats. Then as suddenly as it started, the shaking stopped.  
  
The front door exploded into a million toothpicks. Through it stepped a familiar figure.  
  
Buffy.  
  
Tight black leather pants, black leather chest plate armor, long blonde hair, and red feral eyes that checked out the room.  
  
"Hi mom, I'm home." she sing-songed to a stunned Joyce. Through the wrecked doorway another figure entered.  
  
Black pants, black shirt, black hair, black eyes, and pale veiny skin.  
  
"Buffy, you've forgotten to do something, remember?" Dark Willow reminded her evil companion, indicating to the doorway.  
  
"Come in. Lover."  
  
A very healthy looking Spike holding a very scared looking Kendra crossed the threshold.  
  
"Ta luv."  
  
There was a blur as Xander launched himself at the bleached vampire but a backhand from Dark Buffy sent him flying into the far wall. Buffy and Giles made a move towards the evil trio but a word and a wave of the hand from Dark Willow stopped them in their tracks with an invisible barrier.  
  
Dark Willow looked at her counterpart and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Those clothes. What was I thinking?"  
  
"I'd think twice before passing judgment Goth Bitch." A defiant and somewhat scared Buffy snapped.  
  
Standing before them was Xander's worst nightmare. The shadows of futures past had come back to haunt them.  
  
"What do you want?" Joyce asked.  
  
"What do I want? Well mommy, first I'd like to say how nice it is to see you so full of life. But that would just be a lie. What we really want is Toy." She looked to Xander who sat curled up into a ball against the wall in fear.  
  
"Toy?" asked Giles.  
  
"Yes, Toy." Dark Buffy said as she sauntered over to where Xander was. Xander flinched as she caressed his face.  
  
"You've been a naughty Toy, haven't you? Bad Toy!" Dark Buffy scalded Xander as she grabbed a handful of his hair and tossed him onto the couch.  
  
"We love playing with Toy. But suddenly Toy disappears and we couldn't find him. We searched high and low because it's no fun if you can't play with Toy." Dark Willow told them.  
  
"Naughty Toy had run away. But now we've found Toy here and he's been especially naughty. Making so many changes. Its almost like Toy never wants to let us play with him again and that's not nice. No Angelus, no Dru, no Mayor. And then we come across this." Dark Buffy pointed to Kendra.  
  
"You're interfering with the natural order of things Toy. As a Trekkie you should remember the Prime Directive." Dark Willow waggled her finger at Xander.  
  
"Basically we want Toy back. But there's so many things to fix and new toys to play with first. Spike, honey? You've killed two Slayers, right?" Dark Buffy asked not taking her eyes of the other Buffy.  
  
"Killed 'em deader than hell." He confirmed.  
  
"Bon appetite."  
  
With uncontained glee Spike vamped out and sank his fangs into Kendra's neck. Xander and the others could do nothing but watch in horror as Spike drained the life out of the young Slayer. Once she was drained Spike tossed her lifeless body aside.  
  
Dark Willow slid up beside Spike, wiped her finger across his bloody chin and tasted Kendra's blood.  
  
"Yummy... Tastes like chicken." Dark Willow purred.  
  
"Oops! Looks like Faith just got called up to the big league." Dark Buffy said innocently. With a blur Dark Buffy grabbed Jenny Calendar. Dark Willow then shushed a frantic Watcher.  
  
"Shhh... don't fret. Never go for the kill when you can go for the hurt."  
  
With a savage twist Dark Buffy snapped Jenny Calendar's neck.  
  
"Lucky for me I can do both." Dark Buffy told them as Giles dropped to his knees in grief. The evil trio sauntered out the doorway.  
  
"Be seeing you around, Toy." 


	9. Shadow Plays for the House of Scooby: En...

Title: Shadow Plays for the House of Scooby: Endgame  
  
Authors: Mike and Tony McD  
  
Rating: mild R  
  
Category: season 7 AU/ early season 2 (kinda)  
  
Pairings: B/X, W/X, B/W, B/X/W  
  
Summary: Follows 'Dark Places in the House of Scooby'. The Scoobies are embarking on their new life together but Xander's darkest nightmares have returned. Now the Scoobies must fight the shadows of futures past.  
  
Distribution: Anywhere, just let us know.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and enjoyment.   
  
Authors' notes: This is a collaborative effort between Tony and me due to Tony's illness. Feedback is appreciated.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
These endless days  
  
Are finally ending in a blaze  
  
And we are caught in the fire  
  
The point of no return  
  
So we will walk through the fire  
  
And let it burn  
  
Let it burn  
  
Let it burn  
  
Let it burn.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
As I look back upon those dark days after Jenny's death there are two enduring memories from that time. The dark, abject misery of mourning Jenny, and the bright shining light of my savior, Joyce. A sympathetic ear to talk to, a pillar of strength when I had none, Joyce saved me from being consumed by my own grief.  
  
More importantly she saved the Scooby Gang. She reminded me that the world needed the Scooby Gang and the Scooby Gang needed me. Joyce had always prided herself on the fact she didn't need anyone's help in raising Buffy. But Buffy was no longer just Buffy, she was also the Slayer and that was something Joyce had no idea how to deal with. In this dark time, Buffy needed both mother and Watcher to guide her.  
  
The Scooby Gang had been shattered; it was time pick up the pieces and face this, the gravest of dangers.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
The quiet knock on her bedroom door startled the blonde from her contemplation. The knock wasn't the usual one that her mom used.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"It's me. Can I come in?" Giles asked. With a resigned sigh, Buffy told him to come in. Seeing each other, the two of them got a shock.  
  
Giles had seemingly aged ten years to the Slayer. The wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead had deepened and lengthened. There seemed to be more gray in his hair and his skin was a little paler than normal.  
  
The normal sparkle in Buffy's eyes was gone and in their place lifeless orbs looked at Giles. Gone were the confident mannerisms of the Slayer. Giles sat down next to a broken, scared girl whose matted long blonde hair had not seen a brush in days. They sat in silence for a while before anyone spoke.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Giles regarded his Slayer with a sympathetic look.  
  
"It wasn't you." He told her.  
  
"It was and you saw it, so don't tell me it wasn't me."  
  
"Do you want me to tell you that you don't have that kind of evil in you? That you could never become that person? I'm not going to lie to you. You can become that person. You do have that kind of evil in you. We all do. Every single human being alive has that kind of evil within them. It's part of being human.  
  
"But just because we have evil within us doesn't necessarily mean we will become evil. Evil is a path we choose to take, and often it is the easier path once you take those first steps."  
  
"Maybe I took those first steps when I became the Slayer. Maybe that's why Slayers tend not to live for long. The longer we live, the more evil we become."  
  
"Becoming the Slayer isn't becoming evil. The Slayer is powerful force in the fight against evil." Giles countered.  
  
"Power corrupts, Giles. And what is the source of my powers? Where does the power of the Slayers come from?"  
  
Giles gave a little chuckle.  
  
"The origin of the Slayer's powers goes so far back that it is lost in the mists of time even to Watchers. I find it ironic that Xander probably has greater knowledge of the origins of the Slayers than the entire Watchers Council.  
  
"But the source of your power isn't just being the Slayer. If it were then you would still be laying face down in a pool of water, or dead from heaven knows what."  
  
"You're trying to tell me that my real power is the fact I've got friends and family and stuff like that? She had the same thing and still ended up a mega-evil super bitch with a fetish for murder, leather, and screwing the undead!"  
  
"She didn't have any support in the end. The support structure she had before was dead, or gone, and what was left she turned her back on! In her world I left her at the time she needed me most and I'm not going to repeat that mistake here. I promise here and now I will always be here for you no matter what may come or what it may cost me. No matter what it has cost me." Giles voice faded as he thought of Jenny.  
  
Tears welled up in Buffy's eyes at the hurt evident on her Watcher's face and she began to cry. Giles took her into his arms and together they cried for long minutes.  
  
Eventually the tears stopped and Buffy looked up to Giles, a little of the sparkle had returned to her eyes.  
  
"Thank you." She said. Giles gave her a reassuring smile.  
  
"That's what a friend is for, isn't it?" he asked her. He looked at her matted hair.  
  
"I think that needs brushing." Giles picked up the brush on the bedside table and began to gently brush her long blonde hair as Buffy closed her eyes and relaxed.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
Xander sat alone on the couch in his empty house, his eyes unfocused as his mind was filled with unending terror and grief. The nightmare of his past had grabbed hold of the present and shattered his dreams for the future.  
  
Hopelessness filled him. He was powerless to stop them. They would have their fun, and eventually they would have their 'Toy'.  
  
It hardly registered when the sound of a key unlocking his front door and a familiar figure slipped into the room. The figure sat at the far end of the couch. Without conscious thought Xander lay down and placed his head in their lap. The cool delicate touch of Willow's fingers on his cheeks and through his hair slowly brought him the peace of sleep.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"What do we do now?" Willow asked Giles. She, Buffy, and Xander had gathered together at the Watcher's house to hold 'a council of war' as Xander lamely joked. The three younger members of the Scooby Gang were snuggled up together on the couch as Giles paced around the room.  
  
"I... I'm not sure." Admitted Giles. The only plan that he had was bringing the three together. Giles had hoped that the deep bond they shared would give them strength to go on and heal each other. If they had any chance of defeating the evil that threatened them, it lay in their special bond.  
  
"Well, let's look at what we know about them." Buffy paused for a moment. "Xander, what do we know about them? I mean they're the First Evil, right?"  
  
"Yes... well, no. Maybe." Xander tried to sort out everything in his mind. "They're evil. They get off on pain and suffering, specifically mine. One was the greatest Slayer in history; the other was the most powerful witch in the world. They became the corporeal form of the First and ruled over a world filled with demons and vampires and human suffering."  
  
"OK, but how do we defeat these she bitches?"  
  
"You can't." a voice told Willow from the front door.  
  
Buffy spun around to face the stranger.   
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"Whistler."  
  
"So you're a Balance Demon, huh?" remarked Xander.  
  
"Wow. Good guess." Xander shook his head.  
  
"Angel told me of you meeting him in New York. A Balance Demon named Whistler who was a fashion nightmare." Whistler looked somewhat offended.  
  
"Pot calling the kettle black." He quipped back at Xander.  
  
Buffy wasn't in the mood for jokes and grabbed him by the throat and shoved him up against the wall.  
  
"We've had an uber-suck time lately, okay? If you have information worth hearing, then we're grateful for it. If you're gonna crack jokes, then I'm gonna pull out your ribcage and wear it as a hat." Buffy growled and let the demon go.  
  
"Hello to the imagery! Very nice." Whistler straightened his shirt out and squared away his hat.  
  
"It wasn't supposed to go down like this. Nobody saw this coming."   
  
"Maybe you should explain or otherwise I'll be looking for matching shoes to go with a ribcage hat." Growled Buffy.  
  
"Ok! Ok! Jeeze!" Whistler looked over to Xander.  
  
"There's a balance between good and evil that has to be maintained. When your universe fell to evil there had to be another universe where good wins otherwise it would start off a chain reaction with one universe after another falling to evil. That's why the Powers That Be opened up the portal between that world and this. With what you knew of the other universe you'd be enough to tilt the balance here in favor of good."  
  
"But with the First Evil coming here after Xander, that plan is in jeopardy, isn't it?" Surmised Giles.  
  
"Close. But they ain't the First Evil here. To cross over they had to leave the First Evil behind. Once they return the First gets a corporeal form again."  
  
"Great." Grumbled Xander to the demon. "We don't have to fight the First Evil, just the two who defeated it in the first place."  
  
"They didn't defeat the First. In order for the First to gain form, it needed a vessel or vessels that were worthy. It tested them."  
  
A look of realization and disgust came over Xander.  
  
"What they did to me. That's what the test was."  
  
"Score one for the carpenter." Whistler said as he moved into the kitchen and opened up the fridge.  
  
"This is all nice to know but you haven't told us how we can beat them." An agitated Slayer remarked as Whistler checked out the contents of Giles' fridge.  
  
"You know, raiding an Englishman's fridge is like dating a nun. You're never gonna get your hands on the good stuff."  
  
"How do we defeat them?" Xander asked with an edge in his voice.  
  
"You wanna know what you need to do to win this fight? Easy, just the impossible."  
  
"OK Whistler, you say we need to do the impossible. Just tell us what the impossible is." The red head chimed in, cutting of the inevitable angry and/or violent reaction to his comments from the others.  
  
"Not my place to tell." There was a knock at the door. "You may wanna get that." Whistler suggested. Giles went to the door and opened it.  
  
"Is Xander in?" Xander was stunned at the female's voice. He got up as Giles moved away from the doorway to reveal a beautiful and familiar blonde.  
  
"Tara?"  
  
"Yeah, it's me."  
  
"But how?"  
  
"They let me borrow a body. My body." Anything thing further she intended to say was smothered when Xander locked her into a bear hug. Tara happily returned it to her old friend. As they hugged, Buffy and Willow looked on.  
  
"Doesn't he know any ugly women?" Buffy wondered.  
  
Tara had asked if she and Xander could spend some time alone, as there were some things that needed to be discussed just between the two of them. While she and Xander were gone, Buffy and Willow contemplated the turn of events.  
  
"It's a pretty sobering experience, isn't it?"  
  
"Which experience would that be, Willow? The watching your evil twin commit murder; the having your girlfriend's dead ex turn up and disappear with your boyfriend; or the having your Watcher brush your hair."  
  
"The evil twin thing, although the brushing thing is way up there too." Images of the stuffy Englishman brushing Buffy's hair ran through Willow's mind, eliciting a small smile at the thought of Giles being so fatherly. They sat together in quiet thought for a while.  
  
"What do ya think they're talking about? Something Hellmouthy?"  
  
"I'd say so."  
  
Silence.  
  
"So, Wills, that's Tara, huh?"  
  
"I'd say so."  
  
"You seem to have a thing for blondes."  
  
"I'd say so."  
  
More silence.  
  
"Buffy."  
  
"Yeah Wills."  
  
"You think we're gonna win this one?"  
  
"We've got no choice but to win. It's funny; people talk about fighting their inner demons. Typical of us that our inner demons aren't so inner."  
  
"I'm worried about Xander."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"They want their toy. I'm worried that to avoid getting us hurt he'll give it to them."  
  
"That's ALL I've gotta do?" a deeply sarcastic Xander asked Tara.  
  
"I know it sounds impossible..."  
  
"Damn straight it sounds impossible! And you know why it sounds impossible? BECAUSE IT FUCKING IS!!!!"  
  
"Look, Xander, I know..."  
  
"No, you don't know. You don't know a god damned thing! You don't know what those two hell bitches did to me! I tried it before and got the ass kicking of a million lifetimes. Now you expect me to... No, no way. I'm not going through that again."  
  
"Not even for them?"  
  
That stopped Xander in mid rant. Tara knew exactly what buttons to push and Xander hated her for it. His temper cooled down.  
  
He'd do it. For them. Only for them.  
  
"It failed last time. What's different this time?" he asked the Wicca.  
  
"You won't be going in alone." Xander mulled it over.  
  
"I can't just go charging in. We'll need another plan to distract them."  
  
"Sounds like something for the rest of the Scooby Gang." Tara suggested.  
  
"But I can't tell them the main plan, can I?"  
  
Tara shook her head.  
  
"I wish you could but you know what they'd say."  
  
"They wouldn't say anything. They'd kick your ass for proposing it and they'd kick mine for going along with it."  
  
Tara giggled at Xander's remark and Xander smiled. He'd really missed her giggle. The blonde Wiccan retained an innocence that even the worst the Hellmouth couldn't destroy.  
  
"You, me, and Joyce, huh?"  
  
"Makes sense. If anyone can wield the heart stone it's you. You're the heart, remember?"  
  
"Heart? Yeah. Brains? No way. I gotta be out of my mind."  
  
"Then were both out of our mind. I've died once already and I'm not too keen to repeat the experience. But it's my Willow. I owe it to her. And I owe you too."  
  
Xander shook his head sadly.  
  
"I didn't manage to do much. She eventually went all the way evil anyway."  
  
"But you gave her a chance. Nobody could have done more. It was her choice."  
  
"I still feel responsible. I could've done something more."  
  
"Not then you couldn't. But now you can."  
  
Xander looked down at his feet.  
  
"You wanna talk to Willow?" he asked. Tara slowly shook her head.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Xander saw a little confused at her question.  
  
"Why wouldn't you want to?"  
  
"She's not my Willow. No matter what she's done, no matter what she's become, she'll always be my Willow. I'm here to save my Willow. You're here to save yours."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"So how are we getting them where we want them?" Xander asked.  
  
"We'll get word out to the streets via Willy that we'll be up on Kingman's Bluff trying to superpower Willow." Buffy informed the group.  
  
"But where not, right?"  
  
"Relax Willow. We're only saying it to lure them there."  
  
"But won't they know it's a trap?"  
  
"They won't care. They got so much power they'll come over all confident in their ability to kick our ass. Which they can. Easily." Reminded Xander.  
  
"So why are we taking them on rather than do the sane thing and running for the hills?" Cordelia asked him.  
  
"Running won't do any good. We've got one shot at winning this."  
  
"But you still haven't told us what the second part of the plan is." Buffy reminded her boyfriend.  
  
"You guys trust me?" he asked his fellow Scoobies. They all nodded.  
  
"Then all you need to do is keep them busy for a while."  
  
"You want 'em kept busy? I've got a few ideas how to do just that." The Slayer grinned.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
It was during lunch and the Scooby Gang plus Cordelia and Tara were in the library preparing a spell for the battle.  
  
"Mandrake." Giles said as he prepared the necessary ingredients. Cordelia handed over a bag containing the mandrake.  
  
"Mandrake. Check."  
  
"Sage root."  
  
"Sage root. Check."  
  
"And, um... er."  
  
"Just spit it out already, Giles!" Cordelia chastised the Watcher.  
  
"Virgins saliva." Giles said looking extremely embarrassed at the three girls present.  
  
Buffy and Willow looked at each other then looked at Xander. Xander saw the look of 'you wanna explain this to them?' from Buffy and Willow, the amused look from Tara, the unimpressed look from Giles, and the incredulous look from Cordelia.  
  
"I, ah, um. Cordy, you wanna help us out here?"  
  
"No! You get your own damn virgin! Oh, wait. You already did. TWICE!!" Cordelia turned on her heel and stormed off in a huff. Xander watched her go and turned back to an unhappy Giles.  
  
"I'll just go find Johnathan." He said before rushing out of the library.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
The twinkling lights of Sunnydale at night were beautiful but none of the assembled was here for the view. Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles shifted nervously as they waited for the showdown to begin.  
  
"I only hope this works." Muttered Giles as he scanned the area.  
  
"The gang's all here. Isn't that nice?" Dark Willow commented as she, Dark Buffy, and Spike appeared out of the gloom of the night.  
  
"As traps go, this is the lamest one I've ever seen." Dark Buffy rolled her eyes. "It must have been Toy's idea."  
  
"What's lame here is you with your anorexic ass wearing leather pants." Buffy countered.  
  
"Ladies, please. Save the cat fighting for the Jelly Wrestling pit."  
  
"Fuck you Spike." The Slayer spat.  
  
"You will, pet."  
  
"I only wish Willow and Xander could fight as well as they fuck. They would have kicked your asses already and we'd be watching the X-Files right now."  
  
Dark Willow waggled her finger at Xander.  
  
"Someone's been a very bad Toy." Spike circled a nervous Xander.  
  
"Fancy yourself as something of a lover, Droopy? Well, thanks to these lovely ladies who gave me all my memories, I remember a certain vengeance demon. You remember that. Me and her, screwing on the table while you and all your friends watched it over the internet."  
  
Xander didn't reply to Spike's taunting which aggravated the blonde vampire.  
  
"What's the matter boy? Cat got your tongue?" asked Spike and then backhanded Xander across the face who collapsed at Buffy's feet. To the shock of the dark trio, Xander morphed into Johnathan.  
  
"Since when did the midget nerd become Droopy?" a now confused vampire wondered.  
  
"Got a riddle for you Spike. What's long and hard and fucks vampires?" Spike looked at Buffy in even more confusion when something protruded from his chest. Spike barely had time to look down at the arrow before he exploded into dust.  
  
"A crossbow." A voice said as a figure emerged from the darkness and sided up to Buffy.  
  
"How's it going B?"  
  
"Five by five Faith." A smug Buffy replied.  
  
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the slut." Dark Buffy's eyes narrowed on the second Slayer.  
  
"You got it all wrong. You're the slut, I'm just a bitch." The younger Slayer replied. "A slut would screw anyone." She said kicking her toe at the dust of Spike. "A bitch screws anyone except you."  
  
Anger swelled inside Dark Buffy and she made a move towards the groups but Dark Willow stopped her.  
  
"You honestly think you can defeat us? You don't have the power."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
At the same time, Joyce and Tara joined hands over the heart stone and Tara began to chant.  
  
"From love, to love.  
  
To love, with love.  
  
From loves heart  
  
Shine it's light  
  
And banish the dark."  
  
The heart stone began to glow.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
"You're right Willow. They don't have the power." Xander said from behind them. The evil duo turned to see Xander behind them wearing a heart stone pendant.  
  
"But I do."  
  
With that Xander thrust his hands over Dark Willow and Dark Buffy's heart and a brilliant light erupted from the heart stone pendant. Xander's own scream was drowned out by the inhuman wail that came from Dark Buffy and Dark Willow. Buffy and the rest of them had to shield their eyes from the blinding light from the heart stone pendant.  
  
When the light faded, they saw the three laying on the ground, Dark Willow's black hair now red. Buffy and Willow rushed over to the fallen Xander.  
  
No pulse.  
  
"OhGodOhGodOhGod!"  
  
Buffy paled then swung into action.  
  
"Wills, you know 2 people CPR, right? I need you to tell me what to do." Willow began to shake.  
  
"Willow! I need you here! Xander needs you! Help me!" Still freaked, Willow started moving over Xander. She cleared his airway and tiled his head back the way she remembered from her seventh grade first aid course.  
  
"Every 15 compressions you breathe twice. Got it?" Buffy nodded vigorously.  
  
They started CPR; Willow counting out the compressions and Buffy breathing into Xander. Giles could only watch on in sadness as they struggled to save Xander. He watched them work for five or six minutes on Xander. Willow's tears flowed freely and soaked into Xander's shirt. Unable to watch them struggle in vain anymore, Giles went over to them.  
  
Willow looked up and saw Giles shake his head. The horrific realization set in and she stopped the compressions. Buffy looked sharply at the near catatonic Willow.  
  
"Don't stop! He's gonna make it! Willow! He's gonna make it!"  
  
Giles rapped his arms around his Slayer, trying to comfort her as Tara and Joyce came over and stood with Faith.  
  
"He's gone, Buffy. He did what he had to. He saved us, saved them, and now he's gone."  
  
Buffy started crying.  
  
"He can't be gone. He can't."  
  
Giles held her tighter as she wept.  
  
Without warning she broke free from his hold and began to shake and scream at Xander hysterically.  
  
"Don't you dare leave me! Don't you fucking dare! You never backed away from a fight before so don't start now. Fight you fucking bastard! FIGHT!"  
  
No response.  
  
Buffy collapsed into Willow arms.  
  
Xander's eyes snapped open.  
  
His back arched and he drew a long, painful breath; his face screwed up in the agony of a man being reborn.  
  
He started having a coughing fit which wasn't helped by Buffy and Willow smothering him in hugs and joyous kisses. After a while the helped him move to where the two bodies lay.  
  
"They're at peace now, right?" he asked Tara. She nodded.  
  
"They had power, but no heart. Power needs heart for balance. You restored their balance."  
  
"We restored it." He corrected her.  
  
"The two people who truly loved each of them and the heart who loved them both."  
  
He removed the heart stone pendant and bound his two dead friends hands together.  
  
"What now?" he asked Tara.  
  
"We go home."  
  
Xander kissed his fingers and touched them to their cold lips. He gazed up at Buffy and Willow who held onto each other.  
  
Home is where the heart is.  
  
"I'm already home."  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
December 25, 2003. The Summers house.  
  
"So, Faith, how's LA?" Willow asked the younger Slayer.  
  
"Pretty wicked now I'm traveling between Sunny D and LA on my new toy." Faith grinned.  
  
"You really love riding that Harley." Xander observed. Faith gave him a wicked look.  
  
"Not as much as I'd like to ride something else." She said suggestively. Xander nearly choked on his eggnog. Dawn rolled her eyes at the comment. Buffy and Willow gave her a look.  
  
"Not a good idea, F." Buffy growled.  
  
"Oh, come on! You gave Cordy a ride once." Faith countered. Buffy, Willow, and Xander were stunned. Dawn was nearly gagging.  
  
"How on earth did you hear that?" Xander wanted to know.  
  
"Me and her had a little pillow talk the other day. And let me tell you, if you guys are half as good as she claims, I'm prepared to pay cash. Lots of it."  
  
Dawn clamped her hands over her ears and ran into the dining room.  
  
"Yuck! Mom! They're grossing me out! Make 'em stop!"  
  
"Don't listen to them honey and tell them to come in. Dinner's ready." Joyce called out from the kitchen.  
  
Buffy, Willow, Xander, Dawn and Faith sat around the table that was piled high with delicious food. Giles wheeled Joyce in her wheelchair from the kitchen to the dining table. He sat down beside her and absently scratched at his eye patch. Thanks were given and they started into the meal.  
  
"So, Giles. When are you gonna make an honest woman out of my mother?" Dawn asked, hoping to get a rise out of the Englishman.  
  
"About the same time Xander makes honest women out of your sister and Willow." Joyce replied with a smirk.  
  
"Newsflash. We ain't Mormons and we sure as hell ain't moving to Utah." Grumbled Xander. Giles cleared his throat.  
  
"Willow. Have you decided what you going to do after graduation?"  
  
Willow shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"Don't know. I wanna stay in Sunnydale what ever I end up doing."  
  
"Well, the librarian's job is opening up soon at the high school." They all looked at Giles in confusion.  
  
"But that's your job!" Willow exclaimed to Giles.  
  
"I'm leaving it. To take up the job as principal." There was a moment of shock and then congratulations from everybody.  
  
"I'd be happy to take the job." Willow told him. "But I'll need to take some leave later on in the year."  
  
"Leave?"  
  
"Yeah. Maternity leave." Dead silence as Buffy and Xander's jaws dropped. Willow gave a perky smile.  
  
"I'm pregnant." 


End file.
